More than a month before Shane Beamer opens his first spring as head coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks.
In the next six weeks or so, there will be a strong emphasis on the weight room, where Beamer has Luke Day in place as strength and conditioning coordinator.
“It really is still attacking the weight room and doing everything we can to get there with Luke and continue to get stronger,” said Beamer. “He’s been phenomenal with the guys. They are all walking into the office and raving about how much stronger they have become. Kristin (Coggin) in nutrition has done an incredible job with these guys, when it comes to body weight and where we want to put them, raise some guys and knock others down.
“Jordan StrachanI think, for example, you’ve put on about 20 pounds since you got here. He’s a guy with a good weight. He already led the nation in bags last year, so you can continue to develop his body, with what we are doing from the nutritional point of view, with (Kristin) and his team.
For Day, the task at hand is not as simple as bigger, faster and stronger. It is more than that, according to Beamer, and Day is totally in agreement with that.
“Luke, in the weight room and continuing to develop these guys, on and off the field,” Beamer said, “It’s our mindset now, before we get into a ton of schemes and things like that, so we’re all weight room now . “
It will be a while before Beamer and his team can take the field with their players. The first day of spring practice is scheduled for March 20.
“As we get a little closer to spring training, we will start doing some specific football courses and things like that, which we can do, before we start training,” said Beamer. “We have a lot to do until then, just from the point of view of physical and mental development.”
Obviously, this is intentional. Beamer wanted to set aside a little more time before spring training began.
“I am very grateful that we decided to do this,” he said. “There are positives in going earlier and there are positives in going later, but the fact that we want it later is perfect for us this year. … New team. We are trying to implement systems.
“Coach (Marcus) Satterfield and the offensive people, have been working since they arrived here in early January. (Tuesday) was Montario (Hardesty) first day, then they have to get him, to make sure they match everything, so they fit in, by the way we call things, and he has to learn.
“I am doing so many things now outside the X’s and O’s that I need to get in there and dive into the scheme with them, more and more deeply, and I will have time to do that as we move forward.”
The most important in the short term is the weight room, to make the team stronger.
“The more time these guys can have there with Luke, before we start spring training, the better,” Beamer said.
For the team, recruiting never stops and South Carolina is not done, as far as the 2021 autograph class is concerned. Gamecocks coaches still have one more spot to fill there.
“We have this in our back pocket and we will certainly use it going forward and see the best situation that fits our program,” said Beamer. “Have nothing imminent. No one we are talking to and at the moment. It could be something after spring training too. “