Shane Beamer evaluates the impact of adding Mike Shula to South Carolina's staff

The South Carolina Gamecocks added Mike Shula to the team’s staff as an analyst earlier this offseason, bringing with him a wealth of knowledge and experience from the NFL and collegiate levels.

Specifically, many see him as a coach who can help mold likely starting quarterback LaNorris Sellers, who is 6-foot-3 and 245 pounds, into a star in the SEC. After all, Shula has a long history with those types of quarterbacks in the form of Cam Newton and Josh Allen.

Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer explained why adding Shula has been so crucial to their efforts this offseason.

“Regardless of where Coach Shula had been, or who he had most recently worked with, I would have wanted to bring him on our staff period,” Beamer said during SEC Media Days. “He was the head coach at Alabama when I was an assistant coach at Mississippi State. And I have known him for a long time. … But then when you start talking about bringing him in and you look at his background, and what he was able to do with Cam Newton and the Panthers when they went to the Super Bowl.

“His work with Josh Allen what Buffalo has done with Josh Allen being a big body that can run and throw both. He’s been great and a guy that’s helped out (Dowell) Loggains in our offensive staff room a lot. You talk about a guy that has called plays in the SEC and called plays in the NFL in his career. He’s been a welcome addition to our staff and brings a lot of great ideas to the staff as well.”

Shula is best known for his time as the head coach at Alabama. He held that role between 2003 and 2006, compiling a 26-23 record there. Throughout his career, Shula has consistently worked on the offensive side of the ball, as both a position coach and an offensive coordinator in the NFL. In particular, he has worked extensively with professional quarterbacks in recent seasons.

Since parting ways with Alabama, Shula has been the quarterbacks coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Carolina Panthers, New York Giants, and Denver Broncos. He was also an offensive coordinator for Carolina and New York. Most recently, he was an offensive analyst for the Buffalo Bills before taking the analyst job at South Carolina.

In his new role with South Carolina, Shula is going to be helping Loggains run the Gamecocks’ offense. It’s his first season with the program after previously being the tight ends coach at Arkansas. He also has experience as an NFL offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

The Gamecocks begin the 2024 regular season against Old Dominion on Aug. 31. They’ll begin SEC play against Kentucky beginning in Week 2 on Sept. 7.