Analysis: Auburn’s coach poach stings Gamecocks for now, if only for bad optics
Years from now, Shane Beamer might be standing on the field of Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta under a shower of confetti, celebrating South Carolina’s first-ever SEC football championship with Gamecock players and coaches.
And if that does to come pass, it’s exceedingly unlikely anyone will ask the head coach in that moment: “Hey, remember that time Mike Bobo left you in the lurch?”
With the news Thursday that Bobo left his role as South Carolina offensive coordinator to take the same job at Auburn, social media reaction from the always-passionate USC fan base seemed to split between anger and dismissiveness.
There was rage that Bobo, just three days removed from having the USC board of trustees approve his contract for $1.2 million per year, would just up and leave. After all, it was Bobo who said he loved Columbia and criticized players who opted out of the season.
But there was also pushback from those who felt Bobo needed to go if he wasn’t committed to South Carolina, or weren’t fans of his performance in the 2020 season.
And to that point, Bobo’s departure obviously doesn’t preclude Beamer from having success in Columbia. Beamer, hired Dec. 5, has yet to coach a single practice, let alone a game. All the goals he’s expressed remain achievable, and no one is claiming Bobo is so singularly talented as an offensive coordinator that losing him sets Beamer up to fail.
Yet at the same time, to pretend that Bobo’s departure isn’t a setback isn’t quite accurate either.
In college football, optics matter:
▪ The 28-0 beatdown South Carolina suffered in the Belk Bowl to close 2018 left a sour taste in many mouths that lingered for an entire offseason.
▪ School President Bob Caslen’s series of public statements created confusion and frustration toward the end of 2019’s 4-8 campaign.
▪ Former players and fans got into a very public spat on social media around former coach Will Muschamp’s firing.
The main reason optics matter is recruiting. Negative recruiting is a fact of life, and no program wants to make itself an easy target of opposing schools when things might appear unstable.
Toward the end of Muschamp’s tenure, the optics seemed to have taken their toll. The Gamecocks’ 2021 recruiting class was ranked below USC’s usual standing in the top 20-30 nationally, even before a rash of decommitments. In fact, the class ranked among the lowest of all Power 5 schools.
Now it’s Beamer’s job to steady the ship.
No one realistically expects him to win big right away. But building up good recruiting is simply a must to establish a successful program, and good recruiting requires good optics. Beamer has the undeniable enthusiasm to sell South Carolina, and the Gamecocks have spent millions building up their facilities.
There were several bits of good news Thursday. The Gamecocks got some roster help in the way of a pair of transfers. And current players took to social media to support Beamer on what was likely a stressful day for the new coach.
“I’m with you @CoachSBeamer,” running back MarShawn Lloyd and tight end Jaheim Bell posted late Thursday on Twitter.
When it comes to losing Bobo, South Carolina either couldn’t pay him enough to stay, or he was never fully comfortable being under Beamer even after accepting the offer to stay.
And it could very well end up being a blessing in disguise that Bobo is leaving. Beamer’s next offensive coordinator hire could wind up being a huge success. But they’ll have to prove that on the field.
Any excitement Beamer projects about the new guy in the early going will be tempered by the obvious question: “Why didn’t you hire him in the first place?”
That’s an especially important question because Beamer and athletic director Ray Tanner have placed an emphasis on fit — they want people who want to be at South Carolina. In deciding to retain Bobo and place him in charge of the offense, Beamer indicated he felt Bobo wanted to be in Columbia.
Which brings us back to that field in Atlanta, where Beamer and every South Carolina fan wants to end up. Bobo doesn’t have to be around for the Gamecocks to make it there. His presence in 2020 wasn’t enough to elevate the Gamecocks past 2-8, and judging by many Auburn fans’ reactions to his hiring, it’s not as though they’re uniformly thrilled to have him.
Still, the Tigers were able to get Bobo away from South Carolina after Beamer offered him a chance to stay. And that means for at least a couple more months, South Carolina’s rivals will have a little extra ammo when it comes to sowing doubts.
It’s far too soon to say whether all this will matter in the long term. But it is an impact all the same.
This story was originally published January 7, 2021 at 5:32 PM.
