South Carolina coach Shane Beamer has been extended through 2027 following a second straight winning season, the university announced Friday. While terms of the new deal weren't released, Beamer is expected to receive a significant raise that will more than double his annual salary from $2.75 million to $6.5 million annually, according to ESPN.
The second-year coach is 15-11 overall and led the Gamecocks to an 8-5 record in 2022, highlighted by back-to-back upset wins over Tennessee (63-38) and Clemson (31-30), both of which were ranked in the top 10 at the time, to finish the season. The victory over the Tigers snapped a seven-game losing streak in the Palmetto Bowl, and South Carolina finished the year at No. 19 in the College Football Playoff rankings.
"Coach Beamer has done a tremendous job as the leader of our football program," South Carolina athletic director Ray Tanner said. "His passion and desire to excel on and off the field have inspired our student athletes and our great fanbase. I am very excited about the synergy and trajectory of our football program. He knows what a high-quality football program should encompass. I am delighted that he is our football coach."
The reported raise vaults Beamer from the lowest-paid coach among SEC public schools and pushes him towards the middle of the conference, thought it still leaves him well short of the top in the money-hungry SEC. Six SEC coaches now make at least $9 million per season after Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin signed an extension to stay with the Rebels.
"I am so fortunate to be the football coach at the University of South Carolina," Beamer said in a statement. "I'm very proud of what we've done the last two seasons, but it's just the beginning. The best days of Gamecock football are about to happen."
South Carolina lost a handful of key players to the transfer portal after the 2022 season, including defensive lineman Jordan Burch, top rusher MarShawn Lloyd and tight end Austin Stogner. However, quarterback Spencer Rattler and receiver Antwane Wells Jr. return in 2023 to give the Gamecocks one of the most exciting pairings in the SEC.
Beamer, the son of Hall of Fame coach Frank Beamer, was an unorthodox hire when South Carolina called his number following the 2020 season. Beamer spent the previous five seasons as a special teams coordinator at Oklahoma and Georgia and had never called plays on either side of the ball. However, his familiarity with South Carolina after a four-year stint as an assistant under Steve Spurrier has made Beamer one of the unlikeliest success stories in the SEC.
