Kirby Smart coaching tree: Ranking every coach to come from Smart’s management
By John Buhler
Shane Beamer has turned South Carolina around very quickly in just two seasons
Shane Beamer may be the son of a college coaching legend, but he too stems from several outstanding coaching trees. Whether it be Phillip Fulmer at Tennessee, Steve Spurrier at South Carolina, his dad Frank at his alma mater Virginia Tech, or Lincoln Riley at Oklahoma, these stops have all helped Beamer become a helluva coach at South Carolina. He used to work for Smart, too.
Beamer served as Smart’s tight ends and special teams coordinator from 2016 to 2017 before heading to Norman to work for Riley in 2018. Besides his father, Beamer’s biggest coaching influence has to be the Head Ball Coach from his time in Columbia. He saw first-hand what you can do at South Carolina under Spurrier. In two seasons, Beamer is 15-11 leading the program.
South Carolina may have great fans, but this is not an easy place to win. The Gamecocks play in the same division as traditional powers Florida, Georgia and Tennessee. At least one must be down for South Carolina to be up. Plus, their biggest rival is in-state foe Clemson! After beating Tennessee and Clemson at the end of year and taking Notre Dame to the brink, Beamer is cooking!
In time, Beamer could be destined for a bigger job, but he is exactly what South Carolina needs.