South Carolina football coach allegedly met with a DC candidate
Rumors are beginning to appear that South Carolina coach Shane Beamer is on his way to Starkville, MS, to meet with defensive coordinator Zach Arnett. GamecockCentral (Rivals) was the first source to report breaking news.
Beamer was initially scheduled for a press conference this afternoon to introduce Gamecocks’ new wide receiver trainer, Justin Stepp, but the interview was postponed.
South Carolina made almost all signings for the team, with the position of defensive coordinator being the biggest discrepancy. Names like Derek Mason and Kevin Steele have been cited as potential candidates, but news of Beamer’s meeting with Arnett may end the process.
Arnett just finished his first season in the state of Mississippi, where he led the Bulldogs to fifth place among the SEC’s defenses. His unit scored 25 bags in the year, while it forced opponents to 18 turns.
The Bulldogs finished fifth in the league in interceptions (11), returning three to score, while sack came in sixth in the conference.
Before joining the team in Starkville, Arnett called for the defense of the state of San Diego. He spent nine years with the Aztecs, with the last two as coordinator. In 2019, his defense ended in the national top 10 in fast defense, scoring defense, interceptions, first allowed descents, total defense, defense of passing efficiency and takeaways.
The previous year, San Diego State finished 21st in total defense and seventh in defense of the race.
Arnett is seen as a rising star on the defensive side of the ball and would be a great move for Shane Beamer, who is trying to complete the defensive team. Arnett was also named as one of the main targets of the new Texas coach, Steve Sarkisian.