AD Ray Tanner talks contract extension for Shane Beamer
Dec. 01, 2022
South Carolina athletic director Ray Tanner, who appeared on 107.5 The Game on Wednesday, noted the school is working toward a new deal for Shane Beamer following an 8-4 campaign in his second season as head football coach. “Sometime in the near future — and work has begun, as you would expect I’ll make a recommendation to Dr. (Michael) Amiridis about Coach Beamer’s future,” Tanner said on Wednesday. “And if we’re in agreement, then the process will go to the board of trustees for approval.”
Beamer is currently the lowest-paid coach in the Southeastern Conference, not including Vanderbilt’s Clark Lea whose contract is unavailable to the public because he works at a private school. Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz, and Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin already inked lucrative extensions this year. Drinkwitz will make $6 million in 2023 and see that rise to $7 million by 2027, while Kiffin is expected to pay north of $9 million per year.
Tanner also noted he and Beamer have discussed an increased salary pool for assistant coaching hires, which becomes increasingly important given the recent departure of offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield to Nebraska. “I’ve got more data and comparables on my desk right now than you could imagine,” Tanner joked in reference to market prices for football coaches. “But we certainly want to give him what he needs to do the very best that he can with his program.” The South Carolina board of trustees is scheduled to meet on Dec. 13, where a contract as large as Beamer’s projects to be could conceivably be approved.
“Coaches say a lot of things at a lot of different schools,” Tanner said. “They’re quotable. But when (Beamer) tells you something, I believe what he says and how happy he is to be here with his family. I think that’s real and that’s very important. It’s also important we do right in an administrative role and I do my job as well. We’ve still got room to grow. I’m biased, but I think he’s one of the best.”
SEC HEAD COACHING CONTRACTS ENTERING 2022
All information gathered from the USA Today coaching salary database
Nick Saban, Alabama — $10.957 million
Kirby Smart, Georgia — $10.253 million
Brian Kelly, LSU — $9.81 million
Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M — $9 million
Billy Napier, Florida — $7.27 million
Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss — $7.25 million
Mark Stoops, Kentucky — $6.763 million
Sam Pittman, Arkansas — $6 million
Mike Leach, Mississippi State — $5.5 million
Bryan Harsin, Auburn — $5.1 million
Josh Heupel, Tennessee — $5 million
Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri — $4 million
Shane Beamer, South Carolina — $2.75 million
Clark Lea, Vanderbilt — undisclosed
Dec. 01, 2022
South Carolina athletic director Ray Tanner, who appeared on 107.5 The Game on Wednesday, noted the school is working toward a new deal for Shane Beamer following an 8-4 campaign in his second season as head football coach. “Sometime in the near future — and work has begun, as you would expect I’ll make a recommendation to Dr. (Michael) Amiridis about Coach Beamer’s future,” Tanner said on Wednesday. “And if we’re in agreement, then the process will go to the board of trustees for approval.”
Beamer is currently the lowest-paid coach in the Southeastern Conference, not including Vanderbilt’s Clark Lea whose contract is unavailable to the public because he works at a private school. Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz, and Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin already inked lucrative extensions this year. Drinkwitz will make $6 million in 2023 and see that rise to $7 million by 2027, while Kiffin is expected to pay north of $9 million per year.
Tanner also noted he and Beamer have discussed an increased salary pool for assistant coaching hires, which becomes increasingly important given the recent departure of offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield to Nebraska. “I’ve got more data and comparables on my desk right now than you could imagine,” Tanner joked in reference to market prices for football coaches. “But we certainly want to give him what he needs to do the very best that he can with his program.” The South Carolina board of trustees is scheduled to meet on Dec. 13, where a contract as large as Beamer’s projects to be could conceivably be approved.
“Coaches say a lot of things at a lot of different schools,” Tanner said. “They’re quotable. But when (Beamer) tells you something, I believe what he says and how happy he is to be here with his family. I think that’s real and that’s very important. It’s also important we do right in an administrative role and I do my job as well. We’ve still got room to grow. I’m biased, but I think he’s one of the best.”
SEC HEAD COACHING CONTRACTS ENTERING 2022
All information gathered from the USA Today coaching salary database
Nick Saban, Alabama — $10.957 million
Kirby Smart, Georgia — $10.253 million
Brian Kelly, LSU — $9.81 million
Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M — $9 million
Billy Napier, Florida — $7.27 million
Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss — $7.25 million
Mark Stoops, Kentucky — $6.763 million
Sam Pittman, Arkansas — $6 million
Mike Leach, Mississippi State — $5.5 million
Bryan Harsin, Auburn — $5.1 million
Josh Heupel, Tennessee — $5 million
Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri — $4 million
Shane Beamer, South Carolina — $2.75 million
Clark Lea, Vanderbilt — undisclosed
