I’ll be honest. I thought the South Carolina job was lined up for Hugh Freeze.

I was ready for his SEC reunion a la Lane Kiffin. When South Carolina began its coaching search a few weeks ago, Freeze seemed like the top prize. He was the one with the prolific offensive background, the SEC head coaching experience and the all-important multiple wins against Nick Saban. I thought even after Freeze got his extension to stay at Liberty, which was in the midst of a storybook season, that he and South Carolina were about to embark on a happy marriage.

Then Shane Beamer walked in and poured cold water all over that take. Or rather, he turned the “Freeze is the obvious fit” take into a cold one.

The more I thought about this and read the tea leaves, the more I got on board with Beamer being the right coach at the right time for South Carolina.

Part of that was because of a conversation I had with Stephen Garcia last week. That’s right.

The former Gamecocks quarterback is never shy when it comes to speaking about coaches he likes and coaches he doesn’t like. Beamer, who was an assistant on Steve Spurrier’s staff while Garcia was in Columbia, made a lasting impression on that group.

Garcia credited Beamer with doing a lot of the heavy lifting on the recruiting trail to help set up the program for its best stretch in program history. According to Garcia “99% of the guys” loved Beamer. That’s why there was a growing sentiment with former players like Garcia and Melvin Ingram that if Beamer was seriously being considered, he was ready to knock this opportunity out of the park.

This is something that Beamer has been building toward, and I don’t say that just because he still has an 843 area code (Charleston).

No, Beamer doesn’t have head coaching experience. He doesn’t even have coordinator experience. For some, that’ll matter (even though it didn’t for Ed Orgeron and Sam Pittman). If Beamer doesn’t succeed at South Carolina, some will point to that.

But man, talk about a unique résumé. Beamer worked on coaching staffs led by Phillip Fulmer, Sylvester Croom, Spurrier, Frank Beamer (his dad), Kirby Smart and Lincoln Riley. That’s darn impressive. Oh, and he coached cornerbacks, linebackers, special teams, tight ends and running backs … in 3 different Power 5 conferences. He spent the last decade on the offensive side of the ball, which is exactly what South Carolina needs.

Beamer won’t be Will Muschamp. That’s true both in background and demeanor. Sure, Beamer is also high energy. It’s a different kind of energy, though. Beamer, according to Garcia, was the energetic special teams guy who gets along with everyone. Players like him, which is why recruiting has been such a key part of his job duties in the past. It still will be.

It’s not quite a zag from Muschamp, even though it always felt like it would be. A total zag from Muschamp would’ve been Joe Brady. Beamer, like Muschamp, is going to try to put his own spin on what he’s learned from some darn good coaches, though obviously South Carolina fans would prefer he does so with more success.

Beamer wasn’t a splash. If there’s anything we should know about college football in this era of massive buyouts and high-profile coaches, it’s that splashy hires don’t win titles. Orgeron wasn’t splashy. Shoot, Riley and Ryan Day were quiet in-house promotions after they took over for legends. Even Dabo Swinney wasn’t splashy.

South Carolina isn’t looking to sell tickets or build hype. That’s a credit to a loyal fan base who wants to see this new regime capitalize on the new $50 million football facility. I can’t blame them. Now is a crucial time because even in a pandemic with university budget cuts across the country, the stakes are still extremely high. And that’s not just because Muschamp’s staff cost the program roughly $15 million in buyouts.

Everywhere South Carolina looks, it’s a reminder of how far behind it is on the field. It’s not just Clemson. It’s seeing a yearly Playoff contender at Georgia, which South Carolina used to compete with under Spurrier. It’s seeing a UNC team that looks all sorts of intriguing as long as Mack Brown is there. It’s seeing that there’s a conference loaded with teams playing relevant games in December, and for the 7th consecutive year, South Carolina isn’t one of them.

It’ll be up to Beamer to change that. I like that South Carolina didn’t deny him that opportunity just because of that unofficial coordinator/head coach prerequisite. It’s outdated, especially at a time when teams get 10 on-field assistants. Beamer can build a staff that’s not a revolving door of offensive play-callers like Muschamp had.

And if we start to get some Beamerball in South Carolina, hey, what’s not to love about a little special teams magic?

If you’re down on Beamer, perhaps you had the mindset I had early on. Maybe you dismissed him and chalked it up as one of these longtime assistants with a famous dad in the coaching world. The more I read and learned about Beamer, the more I realized that he doesn’t come off like that at all. This could be exactly what both parties need.

Now is Beamer’s time. It took me a little longer than it should’ve to realize that.