Georgia coach Kirby Smart sounds off on Shane Beamer, former USC assistant Mike Bobo
There’s a standard that’s been set in Athens, Georgia these days. Six consecutive New Year’s Six bowl appearances will do that.
For the 2016 and 2017 seasons, South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer was smack dab in the middle of that culture shift 200 miles down Interstate 20 from Columbia.
“I like to think that (Georgia) is a demanding place that we work at,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said Tuesday at SEC Media Days. “And (Beamer) did a tremendous job meeting those demands.”
During his two-year spell at Georgia, Beamer oversaw the Bulldogs’ tight ends and special teams units. Under his tutelage, tight end Isaac Nauta finished third on the team in receiving in 2016 with 29 receptions for 361 yards and three touchdowns. Nauta and Charlie Woerner also each notched more than 100 receiving yards during the 2017 season.
“The preparation he puts in to special teams and tight ends play,” Smart said of what most comes to mind about Beamer’s time at Georgia. “Whatever he’s in charge of, he spends a lot of time and he takes a lot of pride in the performance and that’s what successful people do.”
Tuesday marked the second time in recent months that Smart has spoken on Beamer’s time in Athens. Smart previously discussed South Carolina’s first-year head coach upon his hiring in December.
“He worked really hard and helped shape and build our program, then went to Oklahoma and did the same, I’m sure, with Lincoln (Riley),” Smart said at the time. “He’s done a good job where he’s been. I’m not taking a lot of credit for that. He’s earned that opportunity on his own merit.”
Smart was also queried on former South Carolina offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, who now serves in the same role at Auburn and previously worked at Georgia.
Bobo worked at UGA from 2001 to 2014 in varying roles including offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. He was also a college teammate and roommate of Smart’s in Athens.
Bobo served under Will Muschamp as the Gamecocks’ offensive coordinator during the 2020 season after being fired as the head coach at Colorado State. Following Muschamp’s ousting, Bobo became USC’s interim head coach. He was initially retained by Beamer before he departed Columbia for the offensive coordinator job at Auburn.
“Mike and I have a relationship that goes really far back,” Smart said. “Both our fathers were high school coaches, cross-town rivals. We grew up competing against each other and then we got to live together in college. He’s a dear friend and I’m close with their family. Excited for him to be back in the SEC. I think he makes the SEC a better conference.”
South Carolina is slated to face Georgia on Sept. 18. USC will play Auburn on Nov. 20.
