South Carolina coaching contracts after latest round of extensions

Over the last month, South Carolina board of trustees approved sweeping extensions, contracts and raises for the Gamecocks’ football program. 

Shane Beamer earned a sizeable extension Friday afternoon but the board has also approved six assistant extensions and raises along with two new coaching contracts. 

When all is said and done, the Gamecocks are expected to spend just over $12.8 million on their on-field coaching staff plus Luke Day. Here’s a breakdown of it all.

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Shane Beamer

Beamer also inked a massive raise Friday afternoon, going from making $2.75 million annually to $6.125 million at its lowest.

South Carolina has Beamer under contract through the end of 2027. He’ll get a $250,000 escalator on his salary annually, meaning he’ll make $7.125 million by the end of his deal. 

Beamer’s buyout language if South Carolina fired him without cause remains the same. That means South Carolina would owe him 65 percent of his salary for each year remaining on his deal. 

His incentives remain the same outside of the College Football Playoff language. Beamer would make $300,000 for a first-round appearance, $500,000 for a quarterfinal appearance, $750,000 for appearing in a semifinal and $1 million for a title game appearance. 

South Carolina would pay Beamer $1.25 million if he won the national title. Those incentives are not cumulative. He would earn the highest incentive possible based on the Gamecocks’ season. 

Offensive staff

Coordinator Dowell Loggains had his contract rubber-stamped

Dec. 13 and will make $1 million annually. He’s currently on a three-year deal. From a buyout perspective, if South Carolina fired Loggains without cause, it would owe him his remaining pro-rated base salary for the rest of his contract. 

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If Loggains left and owed the university a buyout, he would owe South Carolina $550,000 in year one, $450,000 in year two and $350,000 in the final year of his deal. Loggains would not owe the Gamecocks a buyout if he accepts a job as a head coach. 

The most recent addition to the staff is Lonnie Teasley, who took over Friday as the Gamecocks’ offensive line coach. Teasley is on a two-year deal through 2024 making $410,000 annually. 

If Teasley left, he would owe the Gamecocks $200,000 in year one and $100,000 in year two. 

Montario Hardesty signed a one-year extension, through 2024. He’ll now make $400,000, up from $350,000. Hardesty’s buyout if he left is the same as Teasley’s.

The only other offensive assistants to not have any contracts come up Friday are Justin Stepp and Jody Wright. Stepp received a raise last year where he went up to $475,000 in year one. He will make $525,000 in year two, the final year of his deal. 

Stepp’s buyout if he chose to leave this year would be $200,000. He would not have to pay that if he takes a head coach job, a college coordinator job with primary play-calling duties or NFL coordinator job.

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Wright just finished his first year at South Carolina where he made $350,000. This is also the final year of his current deal, and he’ll make $400,000. If Wright left he would owe $100,000.

South Carolina’s assistants’ buyouts, if fired, are all similar. The Gamecocks would owe the remaining base salary left on the deal at the time of departure.

Defensive staff

After receiving an extension last season, coordinator Clayton White had another year tacked on to his deal that now runs through 2025. White also received a $100,000 raise up to $1.2 million annually. 

White’s buyout starts at $625,000 in year one and decreases by $100,000 annually. He would not have to pay that if he took a head coaching job or became an NFL coordinator. 

Torrian Gray picked up the biggest pay bump, though. He already got up to $500,000 before the extension. Now, he’s under contract through 2025 making $650,000 in year one. His salary increases by $25,000 annually. 

Gray would also owe $400,000 if he left in year one, $300,000 in year two and $100,000 in year three. 

Line coaches Jimmy Lindsey and Sterling Lucas each picked up extensions and raises. Lindsey now makes $475,000 annually on a deal running through 2024. He’d also owe $300,000 in year one if he left and $200,000 in year two. 

Lucas also earned a big raise, too, getting up to $475,000 after making $350,000 in his first year. His contract also expires after 2024.

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Luke Day, Pete Lembo

Day is also under contract through 2023, an extension he signed last offseason. He makes $425,000 annually. If he left, he’d owe $100,000. 

Lembo, though, received a massive extension the same day Loggains was approved by the board. He’ll make $725,000 annually on a deal running through 2025. He was making just under $500,000 before that.

If Lembo left, he’d owe South Carolina $400,000 in year one, $300,000 in year two while owing $100,000 in the final year of his deal. He also would not have to pay his buyout if he became a head coach, earned a college offensive or defensive coordinator job with primary play-calling duties or left to be an NFL coordinator.

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