Gamecocks hire new receivers coach with plenty of SC connections
Justin Stepp is headed back to South Carolina.
The former Pelion High and Furman standout will be the new receivers coach at South Carolina, a source confirmed to The State on Sunday evening.
Stepp has been the Arkansas receivers coach for the past three years. Now, he’ll be the eighth assistant coaching hire for new Gamecock head coach Shane Beamer, taking the place of Joe Cox, who was hired last offseason under coach Will Muschamp’s regime.
USC’s board of trustees met virtually Monday afternoon to approve new assistants’ contracts.
Stepp earned $300,000 last season with Arkansas but will make $460,000 according to the contract approved by the board of trustees.
“I’m honored to be part of Coach Beamer’s staff at South Carolina,” Stepp said in a release sent out by USC. “Obviously, it’s a chance for me to get back home. I grew up going to Gamecock games and it will be a dream come true to be able to coach on the sidelines at Williams-Brice Stadium alongside Coach Beamer.”
Stepp was named as one of the nation’s top 25 recruiters of 2019 by Rivals, in large part to the addition of four four-star receivers for Arkansas. The Hogs were the only team in the nation to sign four four-star wide receivers. In the two classes since, he helped Arkansas secure two other four-star prospects for a total of six in three years — as many as they had in the previous seven recruiting cycles.
During Stepp’s seven seasons as a wide receivers coach on the FBS level, he’s tutored three different players who have combined for four 1,000-yard receiving seasons, including current NFL receiver Courtland Sutton while he was at SMU. Stepp and his wife named their first child after Sutton.
Stepp’s Palmetto State ties include three seasons on staff at Clemson as a graduate assistant. He then got his first on-field FBS job at Appalachian State coaching receivers for three seasons, before reuniting with former Clemson assistant Chad Morris at SMU as his receivers coach. When Morris was hired by Arkansas, Stepp went with him and was retained by Sam Pittman when Morris was fired.
Back in his playing days, Stepp was a two-time All-Southern Conference selection at Furman, racking up the fourth-most career yards in program history at the time.
With Stepp’s hiring, Beamer and the Gamecocks have just two remaining spots to fill on staff, including the crucial position of defensive coordinator. With every position group accounted for on offense, the other spot will presumably be filled by a defensive coach.
Justin Stepp coaching bio
- 2007 Fort Mill (S.C.) HS (WRs/Strength and Conditioning)
- 2008 North Greenville (WRs/Recruiting Coordinator)
- 2009-10 Clemson (Graduate Assistant/Offensive Video)
- 2011 Clemson (Graduate Assistant/Offense)
- 2012-14 Appalachian State (WRs)
- 2015-17 Southern Methodist University (WRs)
- 2018-2020 Arkansas (WRs)
This story was originally published January 3, 2021 at 5:58 PM.
