New Gamecock Coach Shane Beamer Talks About Challenge Facing Clemson
New South Carolina coach Shane Beamer has a multitude of challenges in turning around a football program that's won six games in the last two seasons.
As a first-year head coach, the son of Virginia Tech legend Frank Beamer has to build the program back through recruiting, still coach Oklahoma the rest of the season, get to know his roster and appeal to a fan base that wants to get back to where the Gamecocks were in his first run at the school.
One of the biggest issues, though, will be dealing with the beast up the road from Columbia. Clemson is preparing for its run at a sixth consecutive ACC title and trip to the College Football Playoff.
When Beamer coached as an assistant at South Carolina from 2007-2010, it was a very different time in the rivalry, and he'll soon come face-to-face with a very different Tiger program under Dabo Swinney, who is recruiting a higher level of talent than South Carolina.
"Those guys are on a pretty dang good run right now, but when I was here before we had a pretty dang good run ourselves against those guys as well," Beamer said during his introductory press conference Monday. "It's a big challenge, and we're going to work every single day in recruiting...to have a team that we can be proud of on the field. Certainly, I have great respect for those guys but looking forward to getting in there and competing. I know that for a fact."
Beamer didn't actually mention Clemson by name, instead referring to the challenge coming from "that program in the Upstate."
When Beamer left Columbia to coach with his dad at Virginia Tech, the Gamecocks were two years into a five-game win streak themselves. Since then, Clemson has won sixth consecutive games in the Palmetto State rivalry.
The year's matchup was canceled, but Beamer will renew the rivalry next season in a game that's currently scheduled to be played at Williams-Brice Stadium in 2021.
