(Coaching search Sunday night update November 29th UPDATED)
Oklahoma assistant head coach Shane Beamer is the solid leader for the job at this point after the first week of interviews. A source told us Sunday afternoon it’s his job to lose at this point. Beamer is prepared to take the job as soon as it is officially offered.
According to our information, Ray Tanner and Beamer met for several hours and Beamer “checked all the boxes.” Beamer also is getting support from some former Gamecocks who came thru the program when he was an assistant, and those players expressed their feelings to Tanner recently in a conference call.
Tanner conducted multiple interviews during the week, perhaps as many as a half-dozen. We’ve confirmed from our sources in-person interviews with Beamer, Coastal Carolina coach Jamey Chadwell and Houston Texans outside linebackers coach Chris Rump, who is a former standout defensive end with the Gamecocks.
There are more interviews planned for this week. We’re told Tanner plans to meet with Louisiana coach Billy Napier, Florida offensive coordinator Brian Johnson, Alabama offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian and Louisville coach Scott Satterfield, though on November 24th Satterfield stated he has “not pursued or sought out any offers.”
Our information is that Tanner would like to finalize his decision this weekend and then get the approval of the university president and chairman of the board on the hire. University president Bob Caslen, who is dealing with Covid, has not been traveling for the interviews but has been participating virtually.
(Coaching search update for November 29th)
Based on what a source told us, it appears the wheels are in motion for Oklahoma assistant head coach Shane Beamer to be the Gamecocks’ next head coach. The source was more effusive than that….”It’s done!” he told us. We’re being a little more cautious simply because of the nature of coaching searches and how they can turn on a dime. But our information included contract details…4 years at $3.0 million per season.
The source said the situation is at the point an announcement could come soon, possibly within a few days. We are assuming the university board and president are in line with this, but we have no confirmation of that. In fact, we were told Saturday university president Bob Caslen preferred a sitting Power 5 coach, someone with more name recognition and star power.
One other piece of information we picked up Saturday was that when Tanner was in Pawleys Island earlier this week to interview Coastal Carolina coach Jamey Chadwell, he also interviewed a second candidate we have not been able to identify. Also, we were told Tanner was originally planning to interview Beamer in West Virginia Friday because Oklahoma was supposed to play the Mountaineers this weekend. But that game was cancelled, and our belief is Tanner and Beamer met elsewhere, possibly Oklahoma City.
One more note, a USC official did confirm for us recently that when time comes to announce the new coach, there will not be a formal, in-person press conference in Columbia due to the Covid-19 restrictions. Instead, the press conference will be conducted via Zoom.
Oklahoma assistant head coach Shane Beamer is the solid leader for the job at this point after the first week of interviews. A source told us Sunday afternoon it’s his job to lose at this point. Beamer is prepared to take the job as soon as it is officially offered.
According to our information, Ray Tanner and Beamer met for several hours and Beamer “checked all the boxes.” Beamer also is getting support from some former Gamecocks who came thru the program when he was an assistant, and those players expressed their feelings to Tanner recently in a conference call.
Tanner conducted multiple interviews during the week, perhaps as many as a half-dozen. We’ve confirmed from our sources in-person interviews with Beamer, Coastal Carolina coach Jamey Chadwell and Houston Texans outside linebackers coach Chris Rump, who is a former standout defensive end with the Gamecocks.
There are more interviews planned for this week. We’re told Tanner plans to meet with Louisiana coach Billy Napier, Florida offensive coordinator Brian Johnson, Alabama offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian and Louisville coach Scott Satterfield, though on November 24th Satterfield stated he has “not pursued or sought out any offers.”
Our information is that Tanner would like to finalize his decision this weekend and then get the approval of the university president and chairman of the board on the hire. University president Bob Caslen, who is dealing with Covid, has not been traveling for the interviews but has been participating virtually.
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(Coaching search update for November 29th)
Based on what a source told us, it appears the wheels are in motion for Oklahoma assistant head coach Shane Beamer to be the Gamecocks’ next head coach. The source was more effusive than that….”It’s done!” he told us. We’re being a little more cautious simply because of the nature of coaching searches and how they can turn on a dime. But our information included contract details…4 years at $3.0 million per season.
The source said the situation is at the point an announcement could come soon, possibly within a few days. We are assuming the university board and president are in line with this, but we have no confirmation of that. In fact, we were told Saturday university president Bob Caslen preferred a sitting Power 5 coach, someone with more name recognition and star power.
One other piece of information we picked up Saturday was that when Tanner was in Pawleys Island earlier this week to interview Coastal Carolina coach Jamey Chadwell, he also interviewed a second candidate we have not been able to identify. Also, we were told Tanner was originally planning to interview Beamer in West Virginia Friday because Oklahoma was supposed to play the Mountaineers this weekend. But that game was cancelled, and our belief is Tanner and Beamer met elsewhere, possibly Oklahoma City.
One more note, a USC official did confirm for us recently that when time comes to announce the new coach, there will not be a formal, in-person press conference in Columbia due to the Covid-19 restrictions. Instead, the press conference will be conducted via Zoom.
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