Shane Beamer is a coach for the first time, but the two coordinators he has already hired have experience as head coach. Offensive Coordinator Mike Bobo was hired by the 2020 technical team and coordinator of special teams Pete Lembo was brought to Carolina after two seasons in Memphis. Several candidates for the position of defensive coordinator also have experience as a head coach.
Lembo, who has 15 years of experience as a head coach, will also have the title of head coach associated with the Gamecocks. Although his focus on the field is on special teams, he said his role outside the field is to be Beamer’s right-hand man.
“This is something I hope to grow organically with Shane,” said Lembo. “Whatever he needs me to do, from unloading the bus or going to a meeting he can’t be in, I’m certainly ready for it and will do it with a smile on my face. Most of this function, in my opinion, is to gain your trust and be on the same page every day to promote the program’s vision. “
Lembo spent five seasons as a coach at Ball State (2011-15). During his tenure, the Cardinals set more than 60 school records, including season marks for points (501), total offense (6,199 yards), passing yards (4,214), TD passes (35) and total TD (64) in 2013. Your special teams were also among the best at the Mid-American Conference (MAC) in each of their five seasons. Lembo posted a 33-29 mark at Ball State, improving his career coach mark to 112-65 in 15 seasons.
He was the first coach in Ball State history to win at least 30 games in his first four seasons. Lembo guided the Cardinals to a 9-4 record and an appearance at the Beef O’Brady’s Bowl in 2012 and a 10-3 mark and an appearance at the GoDaddy Bowl in 2013. It was only the second time in the Cardinals’ 91-year history that the program went to bowling games in consecutive seasons.
In 2006, Lembo took over the Elon program. In the next five years, Lembo led the Phoenix with 35 wins, more than double the total wins in the previous five years (14). The Elon de Lembo teams broke 124 NCAA, Southern Conference (SoCon) and school records and boasted a 24-14 record in SoCon game. He was named SoCon Coach of the Year in 2007.
As Beamer gets into the rhythm of building his own football program, Lembo wants to be flexible and ready for anything that will become an associate chief technician on a SEC program – a job that requires more than just working. field and installation operations.
“If there is a place he needs me to be because he cannot be there, I will be completely ready for that,” said Lembo. “I need to be adaptable and flexible. In the past, they had stereo systems with green and red bars. I always thought that as a head coach, my job was to create balance. It’s about what the guys bring to your team. I felt that I needed flexibility because the staff is not the same two consecutive years. I will do whatever he needs to maximize the program’s potential. “