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Jets Hire Former Gamecock, Shaq Wilson, As New Assistant DL Coach

South Carolina Football's Shaq Wilson has earned a career promotion, being hired as the new assistant defensive line coach for the New York Jets.

South Carolina's football program has lost multiple off-field staffers and former players to other programs this offseason. Former Gamecock strength assistant and defensive tackle Byron Jerideau left in mid-December to become the associate director of football strength and performance at Georgia Tech. Former Defensive analyst and hybrid linebacker Devonte Holloman took the head coaching position at Pinewood Prep in Summerville, SC.

This trend continued on Tuesday when ESPN Fan Nation's Rich Cimini reported that the New York Jets hired South Carolina defensive analyst Shaq Wilson as their new assistant defensive line coach. 

Wilson, a former captain for the Gamecocks, has spent the last ten years performing various roles for Carolina's football program. After he finished his final game in the garnet and black, Wilson was immediately named a Graduate Assistant. His leadership and knowledge quickly propelled him towards better opportunities in Columbia, beginning with his acceptance of the defensive quality control coordinator position in 2014. He was then promoted to assistant director of recruiting in 2016, then assistant director of player personnel in 2017.

After a three-year stint working with the Tennessee Volunteers, Wilson returned to South Carolina as a defensive analyst for Shane Beamer and the Gamecocks in 2021. He's coached or managed in six different positions in just ten years, which has prepared him for his most prominent coaching role to date. While South Carolina fans are sad to see him go, the drive and passion that earned him the honor of being a team captain as a player and the advanced football knowledge he's collected on the staff make him an excellent hire for the Jets, and likely not the last time we'll see Wilson rise in the coaching ranks.

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