Former South Carolina linebacker Shaq Wilson he returned to his alma mater as a defensive analyst, another hat he will wear in his young post-player career.
Wilson will begin his 11th season with the Gamecocks football program, the first since the 2017 season. After spending the last three seasons as assistant director of Tennessee football sports performance, Wilson was quickly welcomed home by the first year coach at Gamecocks Shane Beamer.
“He and Byron (Jerideau) were dying to be here,” said Beamer. “From the moment I got the job, I had these guys in mind because I know how much Carolina means to them.”
Before leaving for Knoxville, Wilson held roles off the field for five seasons with the Gamecocks. Following his playing career, he worked as a graduate assistant in 2013 before taking up a full-time role as defense quality control coordinator in 2014. He subsequently held the positions of assistant director of recruitment (2016) , then as assistant personnel director for football players (2017).
Having trained Wilson when he was a player, Beamer feels that he is more than qualified to help Gamecocks on the defensive side of the ball because of his playing and coaching experiences.
“I like his experience, because he was already in the weight room and was also an analyst,” said Beamer. “He has been in both worlds and is aware of both.
“He’s a guy (as a player) who has always had a smile on his face and hasn’t had a bad day. He was a great worker and a very productive player, who was smart about football and good on all of our special teams. He had a desire to improve. Shaq is very experienced. At some of the team meetings we just talked about football and X’s and O’s, he has a good mind for the game. “
Wilson came to South Carolina in 2008 as a linebacker at First Coast High School in Jacksonville, Florida. Winner of the cards for four years (2008-09, 2011-12), Wilson led the Gamecocks in tackles in 2009 and again in 2012. He served as a team captain in his senior season. Wilson graduated from African American studies in 2012.
Wilson is one of five full-time analysts that Beamer added to the program. He joined the defense with Ahmad Smith, who has spent the past three seasons working with Gamecocks defensive coordinator Clayton White in Western Kentucky. Nick Coleman and Lonnie Teasley will work on the offensive side of the ball, while Stanton Weber will assist special team coordinator Pete Lembo.