Report: Two Gamecock Coaches Up For Charlotte Job
South Carolina (5-2) is on a roll, meaning the rest of the country is taking notice. The Gamecocks are ranked for the first time since 2018 and should only improve moving forward.
Personal success often accompanies team achievements, and there are some early rumblings that two Gamecock coaches could be rewarded. Charlotte dismissed head coach Will Healy over the weekend, a team that the Gamecocks played this season.
While they will turn the reigns over to an interim head coach, many have begun to speculate about who may fill the opening. The Athletic's Bruce Feldman is one of the most in-tune insiders, and his sourcing is usually accurate.
Feldman released a piece that tabbed some potential candidates for the job. The list featured South Carolina defensive coordinator Clayton White and special teams coach Pete Lembo.
Clayton White
South Carolina's defense dealt with some inconsistencies to start the year. Fans rushed to social media, criticizing their effort and White's coaching. That may have been premature, as the unit featured multiple untested starters.
They continue to improve each week, and White garners more recognition. He is regarded as a rising star in the industry, one that understands his personnel and the recruiting trail. Here is what Feldman had to say about White:
"The 44-year-old White grew up in Dunn, N.C., and was a star player at NC State. He knows the area very well. He was an excellent assistant at his alma mater and is on a lot of AD's radar from his time working his way up the coaching ranks.
While the attention is nice, White may not have much interest in taking a head coaching job. He spoke with Ben Portnoy of The State earlier in the offseason, deflecting any notion of becoming a head man.
"I'm in no hurry to be a head coach. I'll call the defense here for the next ten years if they want me to."
Pete Lembo
South Carolina may have the best special teams unit in the country. They lead college football in blocked kicks, often run successful trick plays, and returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown against Texas A&M.
Many attribute these successes to head coach Shane Beamer, a former special teams coordinator at Georgia. While he has much to do with it, Lembo has also made a lasting impression on the team.
He may not be interested in taking the job, as he already went through the lifestyle of a head coach. Lembo succeeded at Elon, Ball State, and Lehigh before joining the Gamecocks. He's hinted at retirement in the past, comparing himself to the McRib in that he's here "for a limited time."
Nonetheless, Feldman's sources seem to think he would be an excellent candidate for the opening. He's highly touted, and many programs successfully bring on former head coaches.
"The 52-year-old Lembo, one of the best special teams coaches in the country, went 35-22 in state at Elon in the Southern Conference. Prior to that he was 44-14 at Lehigh. He left Elon for Ball State, where he had a 10-win season and a winning record in five seasons there. He was the first head coach in Cardinal history to win at least 30 games in his first four seasons. Lembo's history as a proven winner and culture builder at a lower division likely will be attractive here given the recent success of similar profile guys like Lance Leipold, Jamey Chadwell, Willie Fritz, and Kalen DeBoer."
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