Shane Beamer agrees to become South Carolina coach

Beamer Ball is coming to South Carolina.

Shane Beamer, Oklahoma’s assistant chief coach, agreed to an agreement to become the next Gamecocks football coach.

“I have been preparing for this moment all my life,” said Beamer in a statement released by South Carolina. “I am ready and excited to be the head football coach at the University of South Carolina. I thank all the coaches for the I worked with, assistant coaches and student athletes I worked with. My family and I are thrilled to be returning to Columbia and the state of South Carolina. “

A press conference to introduce Beamer is scheduled for Monday.

“I believe Shane Beamer is the perfect choice to be the football coach at the University of South Carolina,” said sports director Ray Tanner in a statement. “He worked with some of the greatest coaches in college football and took these lessons to become one of the sport’s young and brilliant minds. I believe that Shane’s energy, enthusiasm, commitment and affection for our school and program will be favorably served by our students – athletes, employees and fans. “

Beamer, who has worked in Oklahoma for the past three seasons, was not available to train during the Sooners’ 27-14 victory over Baylor Saturday night in Norman. Sooners coach Lincoln Riley said he had not spoken to Beamer on Saturday, but added: “If [the report] it is true, certainly touched by him. These are the opportunities that you don’t always have. “

Among the coaches Beamer plans to have on his team is Connor Shaw, the most winning quarterback of all time for Gamecocks. Shaw is currently the coach of defenders of South Carolina and was previously the director of player development.

The previous Saturday, Scott Satterfield of Louisville and Billy Napier of Louisiana, who were also considered top candidates in South Carolina, announced that they would remain in their current schools. Jamey Chadwell of Coastal Carolina and Florida offensive coordinator Brian Johnson were also interviewed for the job.

Beamer, the son of Hall of Fame coach Frank Beamer, emerged as a favorite shortly after South Carolina dismissed coach Will Muschamp on November 15. He received strong support from some of South Carolina’s most prominent football alumni and met with Gamecocks officials two weeks ago. Beamer was an assistant to the South Carolina team under Steve Spurrier from 2007 to 2010.

In 2009 and 2010, Beamer was the recruiting coordinator for South Carolina when Gamecocks brought together some of their best recruiting classes in the school’s history, serving as the basis for three consecutive 11-win seasons and three consecutive top-10 results in final searches.

Running back Marcus Lattimore, the school’s all-time leader, with 38 running touchdowns, was a member of the 2010 recruiting class along with Shaw.

“Coach Beamer is someone who leaves an impression on you with his love and enthusiasm for the game,” Lattimore told ESPN. “He makes you want to play for him. He’s smart and personal. He loves his family. That should tell you everything you need to know about how I feel about him and this job.”

The Gamecocks’ hiring class in 2009 included cornerback Stephon Gilmore, receiver Alshon Jeffery and security DJ Swearinger, all of whom are still playing in the NFL.

Patrick DiMarco, a Pro Bowl fullback with the Atlanta Falcons in 2015, played in South Carolina when Beamer was on the team and strongly supported the signing.

“I have full confidence that Shane will form an incredible team that will light up the score and get Carolina excited again,” DiMarco told ESPN. “Shane has connections with the state and the university and was the state’s owner during his time at USC as a recruitment coordinator, helping to bring in South Carolina recruits like Marcus Lattimore, Alshon Jeffery, Jadeveon Clowney, Stephon Gilmore and many more.”

Los Angeles Chargers Pro Bowl defensive team Melvin Ingram, an All-American consensus in South Carolina as a veteran, recently tweeted that Beamer “would bring culture back”.

Beamer, 43, has never been a leading scorer in attack or defense during his career, but he has experience on both sides of the ball and has also coordinated special teams. He spent the last three years as Riley’s right-hand man in the attack and also trained the Sooners’ tight ends and H-backs.

Riley said last month that Beamer would be a “really good head coach” and added that Beamer had “great experience, being able to work with several different guys and programs, in different parts of the country.”

South Carolina talked to Riley about the Gamecocks’ main job at the start of the 2016 season before hiring Muschamp. Riley, 32 at the time, was in his first season as an offensive coordinator / Oklahoma quarterback coach.

Beamer, having played for his father at Virginia Tech, wanted to make his own name in the coaching world before returning as his father’s coach from 2011 to 2015 as an associate head coach and running back coach. Before returning to his alma mater, Beamer trained with Phillip Fulmer in Tennessee, Sylvester Croom in Mississippi and Spurrier in South Carolina.

And after leaving Virginia Tech when his father retired after the 2015 season, Beamer worked with Kirby Smart in Georgia for two seasons, becoming Beamer’s fourth stop at the SEC.

Muschamp was fired with three games left in his fifth season in office. He was 28-30 overall in South Carolina and recorded more wins in his first three seasons (22) than any coach in school history, but Gamecocks have only had 6-14 in the last 20 Muschamp games.

Only seven times in the school’s history did South Carolina win more than eight games in one season, and Spurrier was responsible for four of those seven seasons.

ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg contributed to this report.