Shawn Elliott on returning to South Carolina: 'It just means a lot'
Most FBS programs don’t start their spring football practice until early to mid March. But Shawn Elliott is different. His spring practice with Georgia State starts during the second full week in February.
Everything was running smoothly. But just two days into practice, he got a phone call. It was Shane Beamer. He was in need of a tight ends coach.
“I’ve always kept up with the University of South Carolina from afar. When positions would come available, I would see what they were,” said Elliott, who coached with the Gamecocks from 2010-2016.
[GamecockCentral for $1: In-depth coverage and a great community]
In the back of his mind, Elliott knew his heart was still in Columbia. That was where his family was. Even after taking the head coaching job at Georgia State, his wife and kids still lived in the Columbia area. He would often drive back and forth to see his son play football or his daughter cheer.
So when this new opportunity came about, it wasn’t a hard sell for Elliott.
“It was very quick. It was a Tuesday night phone call and another phone call on Wednesday morning and then that was it,” he said. “But I think it happened very quickly and Tuesday night or Wednesday morning was when I knew.”
Top 10
- 1Breaking
DJ Lagway
Florida QB to return vs. LSU
- 2
Dylan Raiola injury
Nebraska QB will play vs. USC
- 3
Elko pokes at Kiffin
A&M coach jokes over kick times
- 4New
SEC changes course
Alcohol sales at SEC Championship Game
- 5
Bryce Underwood
Michigan prepared to offer No. 1 recruit $10.5M over 4 years
[Win two tickets to the South Carolina-Florida men’s basketball game]
While it was a chance for Elliott to go home, he would have to face the reality of telling his coaching staff and players that he was leaving two days into spring football. But this was the only way he could’ve handled it.
“We had not tough conversations with our staff and players but we had really good open conversations,” Elliott said. “I don’t think I walked out of there with any one of those guys looking at me and saying why or this. I mean, it was more congratulations and hugs, thanks for everything you’ve done, support you in every way, go be great.”
[On3 App: Get South Carolina push notifications from GamecockCentral]
Not long after the news broke, there was a lot of excitement for Elliott’s return to Columbia. This was the man who took over for Steve Spurrier midseason after he resigned. Elliott was beloved when he coached at South Carolina. And so, the response from not just the players but the fan base has been great.
“Any time you have former players that speak on your behalf and speak highly of you then you know you made an impact on them,” Elliott said. “And I think that’s what every coach in this profession ultimately wants. They want the players that they’ve coached to speak highly of them and be excited about what they did for them when they were coaching them. For these guys, and I don’t know who’s all done that of course, but I’ve seen a few. It just means a lot. It means I made a difference in somebody’s life. It’s not something where they walked in here one day and walked out, but over the course of their career and lifetime, they haven’t forgotten about Shawn Elliott. I’ve done something right in their life.”
