Shane Beamer shares key to keeping success rolling

Shane Beamer has managed to take the South Carolina Gamecocks from a team that went just 6-16 in the two years before he got there to 15-11 in his first two seasons. In 2022, that included upsetting Tennessee, finally beating Clemson, and taking Notre Dame down to the wire in the Gator Bowl.

Now, Beamer is going to be tasked with maintaining and building on that success. At SEC Media Days, he broke down what is going into that success.

“Yeah, my kids read that to me last night, and they made sure I realized that Kirby [Smart] won a National Championship and I ain’t beaten Kirby as well,” Shane Beamer said of beating three national championship winning coaches last season. “And so they do a good job of keeping me humble as well. Great people. Those great wins that we had over those fantastic Hall of Fame coaches that you’re referring to took all three phases and everybody in our program as well. So for us, it’s going to be to continue to can recruit great players and bring great people into our program.”

The three national championship winning coaches that Shane Beamer beat last season were Dabo Swinney, Mack Brown, and Jimbo Fisher. However, as Beamer emphasized, those wins were about players making great plays. So, to continue with the team’s success, Beamer needs to get players who want to make those plays for South Carolina.

“In those games, North Carolina, Texas A&M, and Clemson are the three you’re referring to, you look at it, I mean, we had impactful plays in all those games on special teams, defense, and offense. That’s what it takes to beat a great team like that, great coaches and great programs,” Beamer said.

“There are so many Hall of Fame coaches already in this league and future Hall of Fame coaches as well. That’s what it’s going to be. It’s continuing to recruit great players and continue to develop the culture that we have at our place.”

Shane Beamer on what went into Spencer Rattler’s return

One key player for South Carolina is quarterback Spencer Rattler, who chose to return to the team this season. As Shane Beamer admitted, he had interest in the NFL but ultimately decided to return to school.

“And when I told you guys immediately after the season that I didn’t know, I didn’t know. I mean those are the conversations that he and I had, and myself and his dad and his family also. We finished the regular season, we know we have a decision to make, he really was totally focused on the bowl game and trying to beat Notre Dame in that bowl game. We had conversations throughout the month off and on, his family and I and Spencer and I, and then once the bowl game finished I saw his mom and dad and his family as I was literally getting on the bus at the bowl game to go back to the hotel after the game,” Beamer said.

“We talked a little bit, had some conversations over the next week but Spencer’s a very mature guy. Very smart guy, unbelievable family, he was going to make the best decision for him and his future and his family. Absolutely glad that he decided to come back certainly, he’s a great guy, love being around him, makes our team better, makes our program better in coming back for another season. He’s still young, he’s played a lot of college football but he’s still a young guy and this is the best thing for his future also.”