South Carolina’s Shane Beamer mentioned in list of top football coaches under 45
Shane Beamer is getting some national recognition ahead of his second full season at the helm of the South Carolina football program.
CBS Sports college football writer Dennis Dodd listed Beamer as a “notable coach” following his ranking of the top 10 college football coaches under 45, published Tuesday.
Beamer, 44, didn’t crack the top 10, which was led by top selection Lincoln Riley of USC (38 years old) and Ohio State’s Ryan Day (43). Three SEC coaches were in Dodd’s top 10 — first-year Florida coach Billy Napier (No. 4, 42 years old), second-year Tennessee coach Josh Heupel (No. 5, 43) and third-year Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz (No. 10, 39).
Beamer had a spicy Twitter exchange with Dodd following the Gamecocks’ 38-21 win over North Carolina in last year’s Duke’s Mayo Bowl. After Beamer was doused with mayonnaise for the victory, Dodd criticized the mayo bath, scoffing at the notion that “a condiment being poured on an adult male passes for programming.”
Beamer clapped back.
“What’s it like being so miserable all the time ? For a sport you “cover” @dennisdoddcbs,” he wrote in a tweet. “…Praying for you I still remember back in July at SEC Media Days when you said the CEILING for our team was 2 wins …Keep bringing that expert “analysis” Happy New Year #FindSomeJoy.”
Beamer led the Gamecocks to a 7-6 (3-5 SEC) record in his first year as head coach, capped off with the bowl win over UNC.
With his Gamecocks projected to win three or four games by many national pundits heading into his first season, Beamer improved South Carolina from a 2-8 record in 2020. He also helped the Gamecocks earn their first postseason win since The 2018 Outback Bowl.
Beamer was named a co-winner of last year’s Steve Spurrier Award, given by the Football Writers Association of America to the nation’s best first-year coach. He shared the award with Tennessee’s Heupel.
The Gamecocks end this year’s spring practice with annual Garnet and Black game this Saturday. The game will be held at 7 p.m. in Williams-Brice Stadium, available for streaming through SEC Network Plus.
