COLOMBIA – In a time of new beginnings, why not try as many new ideas as possible?
That’s what South Carolina football coach Shane Beamer is doing with the addition of five analysts to his team. The new analysts, ranging from a former USC student to an offensive JUCO coordinator, will assist the 10 technical assistants in the field.
“Probably ended here in the short term, but we will see what happens here as we move forward,” said Beamer of his team, which was officially completed last week when Coach Montario Hardesty’s two-year contract, $ 300,000 a year, was okay. “Very happy and very happy with the place where we are with the people in this building and the connection we have in this building.”
Analysts have become more furious in college football than in the expensive operations buildings that offer everything from barber shops to putt-putt courses and flight simulators. The more people can be added to a team to help the “focused” 10 coaches to plan, observe, divide and plan, the better.
The national champion Alabama has been at the forefront, sometimes bringing in wretched coaches from their previous jobs and finding resurrection with the Crimson Tide. The most recent, Steve Sarkisian, cost himself the job at Southern Cal, went to Nick Saban’s rehab program and is now head coach of Texas.
After a one-sided defeat to Tide, LSU coach Ed Orgeron mentioned how “embarrassing” it was to see the details of Alabama’s Tigers recognition. LSU went from five analysts in 2016 to 10 in 2018 and then won the 2019 national championship.
Former USC coach Will Muschamp had two analysts on his team. Beamer, who was promised that he would receive everything he needed to succeed, increased that number to five.
Former USC linebacker Shaq Wilson returned to assist in defense after working in a variety of roles at USC before making the transition to strength and conditioning in Tennessee.
Nick Coleman was the offensive coordinator at Northeast Mississippi Community College and has served as an offensive officer at several schools since he ended his quarterback career in Middle Tennessee State.
Ahmad Smith helped on both sides of the ball and has been a defensive assistant in Western Kentucky for the past two seasons.
Lonnie Teasley has trained the offensive line at NC Central for the past two years and has also spent two years at the Baltimore Ravens.
Stanton Weber has been in Kansas State for four seasons.
“I saw both work and we are doing what is most appropriate for South Carolina,” said Beamer of having analysts on the team. “The investment was made.”
Beamer also has senior assistants Donnie Both, Joe Bowen, Danny Gordon and Kiel Pollard to add to his analysts and several other support staff. Gordon and Pollard played at the USC.
Beamer said that while “probably” will end hiring for now, he is always looking for potential employees.
“It would have to be the right person at the right time,” he said. “There are some specific guys that we talked to for a specific role, if it worked on our side and theirs.”
Even Muschamp, who said that “more isn’t always better” about potentially adding more analysts to one of his USC teams, took action. He’s working with Georgia this season. As an analyst.
Follow David Cloninger on Twitter @DCPandC.