From Muschamp to Beamer, USC players detail coaching transition through their eyes
It’s been more than three months since Shane Beamer was hired to coach the South Carolina football program, taking over after coach Will Muschamp was fired in the fifth year of his tenure. In that time, he and his new assistants have spoken frequently about building up a positive culture after back-to-back eight-loss seasons had sapped much of the excitement around the program.
On Monday, for the first time since Beamer’s arrival, the players themselves spoke publicly about how that new culture is going. And inevitably, that meant some comparison between Beamer and Muschamp.
None of the four defensive players who spoke with reporters after one spring practice were looking to bad-mouth Muschamp. After all, they were all recruited by, committed to and played for him while he was still at USC. But they acknowledged differences in how he and Beamer went about running a team.
“Accountability, for one. Everybody’s accountable,” sophomore linebacker Mo Kaba said. “Everybody wants to work. ... I’m not saying anything bad about Muschamp. Muschamp is a great guy, loved him, one of the great coaches I’ve ever been around.
“Coach Beamer, he’s everywhere. You see him everywhere — before you’re working out, he’s already in there working out. Before you’re in the practice room before you’re in the meeting room, he’s already in there, saying what’s up to everybody. He’s gonna do what you do two times more, pretty much.”
That extra enthusiasm and energy Beamer brings has been on display in practice clips and hype videos shared on the team’s social media accounts, where he’s run up and down the bleachers at Williams-Brice Stadium with his players, delivered motivational speeches and gotten up close and personal in drills. And it differs somewhat from Muschamp’s approach, noted to be more business-like.
“Some things they have are pretty similar,” sophomore edge Jordan Burch said of the two coaches. “Coach Beamer coming in, he’s more energetic, and it’s like he’s trying to push the program to go forward. Muschamp was trying to do the same as well. But you know, a change had to be done. So, it’s really how it was. It’s kind of the same (with) little differences.
“Only thing I would say would be different is, you know, weight room and competitiveness. That is more fun. But other than that, everything would kinda be the same.”
Muschamp gained some notoriety for his intensity on the sidelines, though players often said he was funny and personable away from game days. Beamer obviously hasn’t had the chance to show how he’ll handle the games themselves, but his tenure thus far has been defined by a relentlessly positive approach.
“He’s a cool dude, always at practice smiling. He likes to pep talk. His pep talk is pretty good. And he’s uplifting (at) all times,” Burch said.
“They both have a lot of good qualities, but I’d say probably the energy, there’s been a lot of energy, good vibes going on in the locker room and everything (under Beamer),” sophomore defensive lineman Tonka Hemingway added.
Senior defensive back R.J. Roderick has known Beamer since his days as a recruit in Summerville. And the attitude he’s shown since taking over, Roderick says, is just his genuine personality.
“Coach Beamer is the same person, the same person he was my junior year of high school, he’s the same person now,” Roderick said. “He’s just very family-oriented. He’s very transparent in everything that he’s seeing and when he tells you something, you can really take it to the bank.”
That commitment to following through on things is a quality Burch noted as well.
“Well, when we first had our meetings with him, everything that he told us and promised us has been happening — he’ll develop us in the weight room, we’ll get stronger, we’ll be faster. Everything’s playing in so far. So we trust him as a coach so far,” Burch said.
Kaba agreed with that sentiment, saying Beamer’s already earned his trust “just by his actions.”
Establishing that trust in a new culture amid the upheaval of a coaching change is no small feat, Roderick said.
“Everybody knows we had the change in staff, like it’s an entirely new staff. Everything has changed. So just the ability to get guys to buy in early, and everybody has bought in and everybody has stayed the same way,” Roderick said. “And so I feel like it’s definitely good things happening right now.”
This story was originally published March 23, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
