Why Shane Beamer deemed Mike Furrey South Carolina's primary playcaller

On Wednesday afternoon, South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer confirmed what GamecockCentral members learned earlier this week was likely going to be the case — Gamecocks’ wide receivers coach Mike Furrey will be the team’s primary playcaller for the rest of the season, though the offensive coordinator role itself will be more of a team effort.

“I wouldn’t say we have an OC for the rest of the season. We have a really talented offensive staff that each and every week as we always do, the offensive staff will work together – which is what they’ve been doing – to put together the gameplan, and then on gameday the primary playcaller will be Mike Furrey,” Beamer said Wednesday during his weekly appearance on the SEC Coaches Teleconference. “But, like I said, the plan and what we’re calling, that’s put together during the week. He will just be the main guy that’s talking to the quarterback and communicating the play to him on gameday.”

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Furrey, who joined the South Carolina staff last offseason as wide receivers coach, was already promoted to passing game coordinator this past offseason.

The former NFL receiver and assistant spent the last two seasons as the head coach at Limestone, his second stint in that role. He left from his first stint in Gaffney to be the wide receivers coach for the Chicago Bears.

Beamer prioritized that experience when selecting Furrey as the primary playcaller.

“High energy. He’s got a great confidence about himself, and certainly the offense feels his energy. And the other thing is certainly his experience that he has,” Beamer said of Furrey. “He’s played in the NFL, he’s coached in the NFL, he has been a head coach in college, he has called plays in college. And that’s the main thing, just the understanding of our offense, understanding of our run and pass game. Along with our other coaches, nothing against them at all, just Mike’s the guy that has called plays in a game previously.”

Furrey and the rest of the offense staff are replacing offensive coordinator Mike Shula, who was let go by Beamer on Sunday.

Nine games into the 2025 season, the Gamecocks’ offense is currently last in the SEC in scoring, total offense, and rushing. South Carolina is 15th in the 16-team league in passing, third-down conversion percentage, and sacks allowed.

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