Shane Beamer hires one new USC football assistant, gives raise to another
Shane Beamer’s South Carolina football coaching staff is almost complete again.
The USC board of trustees on Friday approved the hire of receivers coach James Coley. He coached at Texas A&M last year but wasn’t retained after Mike Elko was named the coach when Jimbo Fisher was fired.
Coley will take Jody Wright’s spot on the staff but coach another position. Wright, USC’s previous tight end coach, left this week to become Murray State’s head coach. Justin Stepp will move from receivers and coach tight ends, USC announced Friday.
“Excited to have @CoachColey joining us in Columbia. A veteran coach with tons of experience who makes us better in so many way,” Beamer posted on X (formerly Twitter) Friday afternoon.
Coley’s contract is for two years through Dec. 31, 2025 at a salary of $650,000 this season and $850,000 for next year. Wright made $400,000 last season.
With an average salary of $750,000, Coley becomes the third-highest-paid South Carolina assistant behind defensive coordinator Clayton White ($1.2 million) and offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains ($1 million).
Coley was Texas A&M’s offensive coordinator last season and made $950,000, according to the USA Today coaching salary database. He was the fourth-highest paid assistant coach in the Southeastern Conference in 2023. He wasn’t retained by new Aggies coach Mike Elko, who was hired to replace Jimbo Fisher.
Coley would USC $450,000 if he left before Dec. 31 of this year. He’d owe $350,000 if he left on or after Jan. 1, 2025.
If USC fires Coley without cause, the school would owe him what’s left on his contract. The figure can be reduced if he’s hired elsewhere.
The board on Friday also approved a raise for defensive end/outside linebackers coach Sterling Lucas. The former N.C. State assistant will make $575,000 next season after making $410,000 last season.
Lucas has been big on the recruiting front for the Gamecocks, helping to land five-star prospects Nyck Harbor and Dylan Stewart from the Washington, D.C., area.
No contract was brought before the board Friday for Marquel Blackwell, who is expected to be the school’s next running backs coach, according to 247Sports. Blackwell previously worked at Texas A&M and would replace Montario Hardesty, who wasn’t retained.
Before Texas A&M, Blackwell spent one year at Ole Miss and three seasons at Houston and also worked at West Virginia and Toledo.
SOUTH CAROLINA ASSISTANT COACH SALARIES
- Clayton White (DC) — $1.2 million
- Dowell Loggains (OC) — $1 million
- James Coley (WRs) — $750,000 (average)
- Pete Lembo (ST) — $725,000
- Torrian Gray (DBs) — $675,000
- Sterling Lucas (DEs/OLBs) — $575,000
- Justin Stepp (TEs) — $525,000
- Travian Robertson (DL) — $400,000
- Lonnie Teasley (OL) — $410,000
- Running backs — TBD
This story was originally published January 12, 2024 at 4:56 PM.
