South Carolina players, assistants discuss culture under Shane Beamer

Last season, South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer led the Gamecocks to a surprising 7-6 overall record, including a 38-21 Duke’s Mayo Bowl thrashing of the North Carolina Tar Heels. He has quickly established himself as a force to be reckoned with in college football. Recently, some of his players spoke with ESPN’s Chris Low about the culture shift for South Carolina and how Beamer was able to transform the Gamecocks’ program in his first year as their head coach.

“You see him fighting the same fight that we’re fighting,” said cornerback Cam Smith, a projected first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. “You see him busting his ass at 6 o’clock every morning. He never misses a workout. He’s in here working out before meetings, before we’re even in the building. He’s not one of those coaches who talks it. He does it.”

“Coach Beamer cares, man, and cares about everything we do,” Zacch Pickens said. “You’re not going to get too many coaches who care as passionately about their players as he does.”

“Guys want to be here. Everybody in the building is more positive. We didn’t have that before Coach Beamer got here, and that’s why we’re ready to take that next step,” said tight end Jaheim Bell.

“He’s never changed, the same guy, same work ethic, same good old-fashioned, genuine guy he was when he first started,” said first-year tight end coach Jody Wright, who was an assistant coach in the NFL and worked with Beamer at Mississippi State before joining the staff.

“There’s a reason everybody wanted to work forever for Frank Beamer,” Wright said. “Shane is the same way, and he’s brought old-school values to new-school technology.”

The South Carolina Gamecocks will begin their 2022-2023 season against the Georgia State Panthers. That one is slated for 7:30 PM EST on Sept. 3rd.