South Carolina football ranks near bottom of SEC in assistant coach pay, report says
South Carolina ranks toward the bottom of the Southeastern Conference in spending on assistant football coaches, per a report from the Knoxville News Sentinel.
USC paid $4.88 million in assistant football coach salaries during the 2021 season, according to data acquired by The News Sentinel via USA Today’s database of college football coaching contracts. That number ranked 12th out of the 13 public SEC schools. Vanderbilt is a private school and, therefore, not obligated to cooperate with public records requests.
South Carolina’s combined spending on assistant football coaches ranked just below that of Missouri ($4.89 million), Ole Miss ($5.03 million), Arkansas ($5.13 million) and Kentucky ($5.45 million).
The only school that spent less than South Carolina, according to the report, was Mississippi State at an annual assistant coaching salary pool that totaled $4.83 million.
While the Gamecocks sat toward the bottom of the conference in coaching contract spending, that stands to change in the not-too-distant future. It’s expected the South Carolina board of trustees could approve raises for a handful of staffers — head coach Shane Beamer included — as soon as Friday’s board meeting, though that has yet to be added to the public agenda.
Offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield and defensive coordinator Clayton White were the highest paid of Beamer’s assistants during the 2021 season at $900,000 annually, according to documents obtained by The State.
The next-highest paid staffers included offensive line coach Greg Adkins ($550,000), defensive backs coach Torrian Gray ($475,000) and wide receivers coach Justin Stepp ($460,000).
South Carolina hired Jacksonville Jaguars assistant coach Sterling Lucas to replace outside linebackers/defensive ends coach Mike Peterson, who left USC to coach outside linebackers on Billy Napier’s Florida staff. Lucas will be paid an annual salary of $350,000 — or $70,000 less than Peterson’s final deal with South Carolina, according to his contract.
USC also has yet to officially announce the reported hiring of tight ends coach Jody Wright. The former New York Giants and Alabama assistant coach is set to replace Erik Kimrey, who became the head coach at The Baylor School in Chattanooga on Feb. 3.
Kimrey was paid $200,000 annually under the terms of his deal with South Carolina, according to documents obtained by The State.
As far as head coaches, Beamer’s $2.75 million salary ranked last among the 13 head coaches whose salaries were made public in USA Today’s coaching salary database. Vanderbilt’s Clark Lea was not included.
South Carolina football staff 2021 annual salaries
Shane Beamer (HC) — $2.75 million
Marcus Satterfield (OC) — $900,000
Clayton White (DC) — $900,000
Greg Adkins (OL) — $550,000
Torrian Gray (DBs) — $475,000
Justin Stepp (WRs) — $460,000
Pete Lembo (ST) — $450,000
Mike Peterson (OLBs/DEs) — $420,000
Jimmy Lindsey (DL) —$350,000
Montario Hardesty (RBs) — $300,000
Erik Kimrey (TEs) — $200,000
*Annual salary numbers are derived from documents obtained by The State and previous reporting.
