Mike Shula buyout details: How long will South Carolina pay former coach?
South Carolina will be on the hook for monthly payments to fired offensive coordinator Mike Shula for the next two years, documents show.
The university will pay Shula a contract buyout in monthly installments of $91,666.67 (or $2.365 million total) through Dec. 28, 2027. That’s according to Shula’s contract buyout settlement obtained by The State through a public records request.
Shula was fired on Nov. 2 — less than a year after he was promoted from a senior offensive assistant to offensive coordinator. He signed a three-year contract worth $1.1 million annually, making him the Gamecocks’ second-highest-paid assistant coach, behind only defensive coordinator Clayton White ($2 million).
The decision by Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer to fire Shula came a day after South Carolina lost 30-14 at Ole Miss and dropped to 3-6 on the season. At that point, USC was averaging the fewest points, rushing yards and first downs of any SEC team.
USC finished the 2025 season with a 4-8 record. The Gamecocks hired Kendal Briles as their new offensive coordinator on Dec. 11.
South Carolina Athletic Director Jeremiah Donati wrote Shula’s “notice of termination” letter on Nov. 3, informing the coach that he was being relieved of his duties without cause.
Shula was the second of three assistant coaches fired by Beamer in 2025. Offensive line coach Lonnie Teasley was let go in early October, and running backs coach Marquel Blackwell was dismissed in December.
Teasley, who was set to make $675,000 at South Carolina in 2026, is now the run game coordinator at Nebraska. And Blackwell, whose 2026 salary at USC would’ve been $580,000, is currently serving as UConn’s quarterbacks coach/pass game coordinator.
This story was originally published January 8, 2026 at 7:00 AM.
