South Carolina AD Ray Tanner discusses Dowell Loggains, Pete Lembo, Beamer extension, more

South Carolina was busy Tuesday, approving a pair of contracts with new offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains and an extension to special teams coordinator Pete Lembo.

Afterward, Gamecocks athletic director Ray Tanner spoke with the media about both contracts, South Carolina going to the Gator Bowl, the potential for more new contracts in the future and much more.

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On the Pete Lembo extension:

“Coach Beamer and I, as we have the last couple of years, sit down at the end of the year. We hope we’re playing in a bowl game but we sit down and have a conversation certainly with the impact coach Lembo’s had in this program and looking at the national rankings, it was something we wanted to do. We’re hopeful he’s the highest-paid guy in the SEC at that position. I can’t verify that’s accurate but that was our hope.”

On how much conversation and input he had in South Carolina’s offensive coordinator search:

“We were involved but I wouldn’t say we had input. We’re in administration so we try to take care of our coaches and do the things they ask us to do. It’s always the responsibility of the head coach to hire his assistants. From the time coach Satterfield left, Dowel’s name was mentioned among a lot of other people who reached out. We had conversations and he pursued the opportunity to hire him.”

On a potential contract extension for Shane Beamer:

“Ongoing conversations.” 

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On potential contract extensions for any more South Carolina assistant coaches:

“I can’t comment on that at this time. But certainly, there are more conversations to be had with coach Beamer. And, as I said, there are ongoing conversations of coach Beamer’s future.” 

On if he has any initial thoughts on Loggains:

“I really don’t. I know he’s well-respected in the business and considered a really, really good recruiter. I’ve seen his name mentioned a couple of times for potential OC jobs at other places, even this year. That’s from my vantage point. I know coach Beamer identified him as a man he’d love to have on his staff and he got him.”

On how hard he lobbied for South Carolina going to the Gator Bowl:

“You know the process with the SEC and group of six once you get past the Citrus Bowl. It is up to the SEC. That doesn’t prohibit athletic directors, presidents, others to lobby. Certainly, the matchup was attractive. The Notre Dame-South Carolina matchup was extremely attractive. There was a possibility they could have ended up in another bowl, too, and might have had the same matchup. We don’t make those decisions. The SEC does. But we all lobby a little bit. We like the matchup, we do. It’s on Dec. 30. It’s the only game televised (in that window) that day. We hope it’ll be very special.”

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On if he’s concerned about the number of players entering the transfer portal:

“We are going to have a different looking squad and Notre Dame is going to have a different looking squad as well. It’s a period of free agency. That’s the real situation we’re dealing with right now. That’s the way it works. We start practice on Thursday and we’ll tee it up and go.” 

On when he got the sense Beamer wanted to move forward with Loggains as South Carolina’s offensive coordinator:

“I didn’t get a particular time or day. We were in constant conversations. When he told me he wanted to move forward I did what I needed to do administratively to get it teed up with our board and to get to this point today to get approval.” 

On the NIL front and Park Avenue:

“As you know, there are other collectives. Park Avenue–even though the NCAA did technically put them on pause–they are still a vehicle they can recommend to other collectives of what we’re doing here. I don’t think it slows down very much at all. But, we’re certainly trying to move forward in the NIL field as other schools are, too.”

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On the passing of Mike Leach:

“I’m a big fan of coach Leach and have a lot of friends at Mississippi State. I was in touch with them for the last couple of days. He was a great coach and great personality. He impacted so many people off the field and in football. We all enjoyed him and are going to miss him. My prayers go out to his family and (president) Dr. (Mark) Keenum at Mississippi State and Bracky Brett, the interim athletics director and everyone associated with the program.”

On if the South Carolina players opting out of the bowl would be able to travel to the Gator Bowl

“That won’t be my decision. That will be up to the head coach as to how he wants to handle any particular situation with a player or former player.”

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