Former Gamecocks linebacker to join South Carolina staff, report says
South Carolina is adding a familiar name to its staff.
Former USC linebacker DeVonte Holloman, who stepped down as the head coach at South Pointe High School in Rock Hill on Tuesday morning, is set to head back to his alma mater in a support staff role, per Matt Zenitz of On3.com.
A source with direct knowledge of the situation told The Rock Hill Herald on Tuesday Holloman had resigned at South Pointe to pursue another job opportunity, but his next destination hadn’t yet been announced.
The State reached out to South Carolina and Holloman to confirm the news, but neither could be reached for comment at the time of publication.
Holloman starred at USC between 2009 and 2012, helping the Gamecocks to a pair of 11-win seasons his junior and senior years. He was later selected in the sixth round of the NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys, but was forced to retire due to injury.
Following his playing career, Holloman worked as a graduate assistant at South Carolina for a season, before landing on staff at Beaufort High School, eventually becoming the head football coach in 2018.
Holloman had been the head coach at South Pointe for three seasons prior to stepping down on Tuesday. He was the first Black head football coach to lead any of Rock Hill’s three high schools.
“Words cannot express how grateful I am to everyone who has helped myself and South Pointe football continue its success on and off the field,” Holloman wrote in a statement provided to The Herald on Tuesday morning. “The relationships I’ve made and the lessons I’ve learned here will stick with me throughout my career and life. I will forever be a Stallion, and thank you again for all the love and support.”
It’s unclear what role Holloman will ultimately land in. An NCAA rule established in 2017 previously prevented the hiring of anyone associated with a prospect as a non-field coach within two years of the prospect’s signing. Holloman coached South Carolina sophomore receiver O’Mega Blake — who signed with the Gamecocks in Dec. 2020 — at South Pointe.
“We are proud to see one of our alumni accomplish so many amazing things, and we are grateful to have had him to inspire our students in the time we’ve had,” Rock Hill School District spokesperson Lindsay Machak told The Herald in a statement.
Holloman’s hiring comes after a week of movement on Beamer’s staff. Tight ends coach Erik Kimrey and director of football relations Connor Shaw both left the program over the last seven days — marking the first departures since Mike Peterson left South Carolina to coach outside linebackers at Florida in January.
Kimrey will reportedly be replaced by former New York Giants and Alabama assistant Jody Wright, who worked with Beamer at Mississippi State in the early 2000s.
Shaw is expected to take a job outside of coaching, while Kimrey was introduced as the new head coach at The Baylor School in Chattanooga on Thursday.
USC’s board of trustees requires contracts over $250,000 be approved by the university’s governing body. The board is scheduled to meet on Feb. 18 and could be in line approve contracts for Wright and Holloman.
South Carolina is coming off a 7-6 season in Beamer’s debut season. The campaign was capped with a 38-21 throttling of North Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl on Dec. 30.
The Gamecocks are expected to open spring practices on March 15.
This story was originally published February 8, 2022 at 3:15 PM.
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