Gamecocks add SEC veteran, former Mike Bobo lieutenant to run offensive line
The South Carolina football program and Shane Beamer have the man to lead their offensive line, and it’s a familiar face for Mike Bobo.
The Gamecocks will hire Will Friend to coach the offensive line, the school announced Sunday. Friend was offensive coordinator for Bobo’s first three years at Colorado State before going to Jeremy Pruitt’s Tennessee staff.
Through three years in Tennessee, his lines were uneven in production. Some years, the pass protection was better. Last season, the run blocking was solid, but it couldn’t lift up the offense with a set of issues.
Friend was part of good offenses those first three years in Fort Collins and part of a very strong run at Georgia from 2011-2014.
The Alabama alum spent time in the high school ranks out of college and then was a grad assistant at UGA. He then spent time at Gardner-Webb for two years and then UAB for four before returning to Athens.
He’ll replace Eric Wolford, who spent four years in Columbia and has moved on to Kentucky following the coaching change.
