Gamecocks Connection: Shane's secrets
Hey, I’m Chris Clark with GamecockCentral.com, and welcome to Gamecocks Connection.
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What’s on the docket today?
I’m breaking down the secrets to Shane Beamer’s success at South Carolina after talking to people who know him well. Plus, we are answering a reader question about Beamer’s championship aspirations and more.
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Get caught up.
Three quick things to know about your Gamecocks from the last few days.
🏈 The nation’s top-ranked EDGE prospect, five-star Dylan Stewart out of Washington, D.C., says South Carolina is doing the best job recruiting him. Stewart, being pursued by a host of blue-blood college football programs, is making another visit to Columbia (an official visit) the weekend of June 23.
⏱️ Game time is set for the first three USC football games this season. Who’s ready?
⚾ South Carolina earned a regional host spot for the NCAA Tournament, so postseason baseball is back at Founders Park. Want to learn more about the other three teams in the bracket? We have you covered.
Also, The Leadoff Show returns this Thursday night at 7 PM as Derek Scott and Tommy Moody give you everything you need to get ready for Regionals. It’s live, it’s free, and it’s only on GamecocksPlus.com. Derek and Tommy will be joined by analysts from opposing teams to give you insight on the clubs coming into Founders Park this weekend.
The main idea.
How has Shane Beamer transformed the mood of the fan base and surpassed expectations his first two years in Columbia?
Beating back-to-back top 10 teams, especially Clemson, to end last season will do the trick. Ingraining yourself in the Gamecocks community is another.
Those are more answers as to what Beamer has done, though.
I set out to find the how.
What are the character traits he has that have helped him find success? I asked some folks who know Beamer well, pairing those thoughts with my own to answer the question.
I came to realize it can be boiled down to the “ABCs” of Shane Beamers.
Attitude. This a two-sided one.
Perhaps this is not the first trait that people would think of for Beamer, a kind person who would not likely be described as “intense.”
That said, he has a competitive edge that comes out if you watch him on the field, or even in press conferences.
He has somewhat of an underdog mentality, a “don’t mess with my program” mindset.
“He’s super competitive at everything and hates to lose,” one source told us. “He’s constantly searching for ways to make his program better.”
Aside from that edge, Beamer’s positive outlook and attitude on life – Find Some Joy, he often says – is central to his ability to foster community.
Every single coach in America uses buzzwords like family and culture.
Beamer lives it. He’s not calling special teams meetings at 10:30 p.m.
Once, offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains asked if he could go watch his son play baseball in the middle of the day.
Beamer’s response was to tell Loggains not to ever ask that again.
Next time, just go.
Belief. Beamer has this in buckets. He has a belief that, if we are being honest, almost borders on irrational at times.
And that’s a compliment.
Beamer is realistic. He did not go into his first season privately thinking that it would be a failure if USC didn’t win the SEC, for instance.
But he has believed in himself, his staff, his team, at times when others have not.
A story: In 2021, South Carolina found itself down 38-7 after a disastrous first half at Tennessee.
Coming back onto the field in the second half, a stone-faced Beamer ran into a USC athletics administrator.
“You will not regret bringing me here,” Beamer asserted.
The Gamecocks had dug far too big a hole and lost the game, but played a more inspired second half. An impression was made.
Consistency. “He’s the same person 24/7,” said one person who speaks often with Beamer.
“He remembers minor conversations you have had with him and revisits them later. It shows you he really cares.”
Beamer’s ability to be consistent in how he approaches situations, what he conveys to his team, has helped achieve results like what we saw last season.
Many visiting prospects and family members have remarked that Beamer’s persona on the phone or on a Zoom call is the same as when they actually visit campus; that’s not the case for every college coach.
Perhaps the most notable example of Beamer’s consistency was the week after the team was destroyed at Florida. While fans were understandably down in the dumps, Beamer was smiling and seemed excited during his Tuesday press conference before the Tennessee game.
USC hung 63 in an upset win over the Vols that nobody but him and his players saw coming, then beat Clemson to close out the regular season.
A question from the crowd.
Q: This is a bit of interesting question or take but do you think Beamer has a aspirational benchmark in terms of similar football programs? Obviously I know everyone strives to be the Bama’s and UGAs of the world but to me it feels like we should be able we should strive, meet, or even exceed the success, resources and support of an Ole Miss. I know they live in the shadows of the SEC West giants but they do have some recent success and NY6 appearances that we do not seem to have.
– ecarch08 from The Insiders Forum
My answer: It’s my belief that Shane Beamer has a unique perspective and opinion of the Gamecocks football program.
I think that’s a huge part of the reason that he was well-positioned to get the job in December of 2020, and also a big part of the reason he’s found success in Columbia so far.
Beamer is probably the biggest believer in the potential of this program out there. You will not find him downplaying – even privately – USC’s chances to land a certain recruit. He won’t scoff at the notion of Carolina winning a title one day. It’s not just a line at a press conference for him.
At the same time, he’s careful – in a genuine manner – not to set the bar unrealistically high in the immediate future. He consistently talks about wanting to maximize the potential of whatever team he has in a given year. The goal, of course, is to raise that ceiling each year he’s in Columbia.
You make a good point in that, in order to compete for a title, you need to raise the profile a bit more.
I don’t think Shane Beamer is satisfied with being the Ole Miss of the SEC East, though. I think if he got there, he’d still be looking for the next step.
I believe if asked this question, he’d say: “there’s no reason we can’t be that successful, given the profiles of those schools. There’s also no reason we can’t become a national power.”
Early in his tenure, Beamer pointed to the successes that Ray Tanner and Dawn Staley had in winning titles at USC. That same commitment is also in place for football. So, Beamer feels it can be done.
I think he looks at that more so than a comparison to another program.
Want to have your Gamecocks question answered here? Email me: [email protected] or hit me on Twitter: @GCChrisClark.
Members can ask on The Insiders Forum. FYI: Premium subscribers do get priority; it’s only fair!
What we’re talking about.
The SEC is unlikely to move to a nine-game conference schedule, at least for the 2024 season.
Oklahoma and Texas are set to join the SEC, which means a new scheduling model must be created.
With SEC meetings going on right now, it’s been a big topic of discussion, including on The Insiders Forum.
Some fans, coaches, and administrators ultimately favor a nine-game SEC schedule, while some want to stay at 8. There are lots of different factors at play, including preserving secondary rivalries, not to mention the possibility of more money for the conference.
Here’s what GamecockCentral subscriber b.wun says:
“I can see both sides. It would be great to have more quality games, whether it is an additional SEC game or quality out of conference game. Let’s just say another SEC game.
The downside is that 1/2 of the conference would have an additional loss. I think back to the 80’s where BYU would play 2 quality games a year versus ranked teams. If they win both, they are in the championship because their conference was really weak. If they win 1 of 2, they are still in a major bowl.
How is that fair to a team that plays 5 or 6 teams as good as the 2 that they play? Let’s say you go 3 and 3. Same percentage against quality opponents but 1 team is 11-1 and the other is 9-3. The perception and bowl destination would be quite a bit different.”
What do you think? If you are a subscriber with us, come visit the thread and give us your take.
A thanks and a request.
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