Former Tennessee standout named new Gamecocks running backs coach
South Carolina officially announced Montario Hardesty as its new running backs coach on Friday.
Hardesty joins South Carolina’s staff from the Charlotte 49ers football team, where he served as the wide receivers coach.
Hardesty starred as a running back at Tennessee before playing in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns. He rushed for 2,391 yards in his college career, including 1,345 as a senior in 2009.
He played at Tennessee when current USC offensive line coach Greg Adkins was on staff with the Vols.
“First off, Coach Hardesty is a fantastic person. He was a great player in college and played in the NFL,” USC head coach Shane Beamer said in a release. “So many coaches I talked to referred to him as a ‘future star’ in the coaching profession. He’s an excellent recruiter with connections in North Carolina and up and down the East Coast. He had multiple position coaches himself as a player, so he will relate in a great way with our running backs.”
Hardesty will inherit a talented Gamecocks running backs group, which includes 1,000-yard rusher Kevin Harris and four-star running back MarShawn Lloyd, who missed his freshman season with an ACL injury. Rashad Amos also saw time last season, and incoming freshman Caleb McDowell is coming off a big senior season in high school.
Hardesty should be Beamer’s final on-field coaching hire. He’ll replace Des Kitchings, who left the Gamecocks last month for an NFL job with the Atlanta Falcons.
Kitchings, Mike Bobo, Will Friend and Tracy Rocker have all left Beamer’s staff since the end of 2020.
Football Scoop reported that Hardesty was under consideration for a job at his alma mater Tennessee but agreed to join USC’s staff.
Beamer said during a press conference Wednesday that he only offered the job to one person.
“I’ve seen different reports out there about what we’ve supposedly been doing with our running backs position,” Beamer said. “But the first time I offered a job to anyone was this morning. ... So we’ll see what happens but excited about the interest in that running backs position.”
In addition to Charlotte, Hardesty also spent time working at Norfolk State, Florida Atlantic and Tennessee.
SOUTH CAROLINA FOOTBALL COACHING STAFF
Shane Beamer — Head coach
Marcus Satterfield — Offensive coordinator/QBs coach
Montario Hardesty — Running backs coach
Justin Stepp — Wide receivers coach
Erik Kimrey — Tight ends coach
Clayton White — Defensive coordinator
Jimmy Lindsey — Defensive line coach
Mike Peterson — Outside linebackers coach
Torrian Gray — Defensive backs coach
Pete Lembo — Special teams coordinator/Associate head coach
This story was originally published February 3, 2021 at 4:16 PM.
