Dabo Swinney: Shane Beamer is building something special at South Carolina
Dabo Swinney and Shane Beamer have been longtime friends through various connections in during their years in the college football fraternity.
Look no further than the special moment shared between Shane’s son, Hunter, and the Clemson head coach ahead of last Saturday’s rivalry game between the two in-state programs.
While Brent Venables and the stifling Clemson defense sculpted a masterful game plan that resulted in a 30-0 shutout victory over the Gamecocks, the Clemson front man took time to praise Beamer and the trajectory of the South Carolina football program under his leadership.
“I told our team at halftime and I told Shane, what you see in his team is special,” Dabo Swinney said after Saturday’s rivalry win. “I know it didn’t go their way tonight.”
Swinney is more plugged-in to the South Carolina football scene than anyone else in the state. He admitted that he’s watched from afar since Beamer took the reigns in Columbia, but even in a shutout victory, noticed several reasons why he believes the first-year Gamecocks’ frontman will finally be the right coach to change the narrative.
“His team believes, and they have not quit one time this year,” Swinney added.
“In fact, they have outscored all of their opponents in the fourth quarter. I just think that says a lot about the job he is doing, the culture he is trying to create. That’s a team that is going to get better and better.”
Dabo Swinney gives proof behind his praise for Shane Beamer
Sitting at (6-6) in the SEC may have outsiders shaking their heads, but Beamer inherited a team with players he didn’t recruit. Beyond the initial adversity, South Carolina has had a quarterback carousel that comes from a horror novel. A graduate assistant who was hired as a coach was thrown into the fire as starting quarterback at the start of the year. Now, with Luke Doty — the expected Gamecocks’ starting quarterback sidelined for the year — the team has turned to Jason Brown, who transferred from St. Francis University, expected to fill-in in a backup role.
Despite the adversity, Dabo Swinney has been blown away with Beamer’s ability to get his team to respond.
“He’s heading in the right direction,” The Clemson frontman added. “He’s got a team – they don’t quit. They play tough. He’s done an amazing job, to come – to get a job like that, it’s usually because things aren’t good. You don’t just flip a switch. For him to be able to come in and take this team to a bowl – they beat Auburn. They beat Florida. They’ve had some great moments throughout the year. The biggest thing is he’s kept them together and he’s kept them playing.”
Though Shane Beamer has been attached to plenty of coaching rumors, Dabo Swinney believes his in-state rival is building a program in Columbia for many years to come.