The South Carolina football season just wrapped up Saturday with a home loss to Clemson. Despite the disappointing results in the finale, Shane Beamer did a nice job of turning around the program in year one.
Leading a team that was projected to win three games this season, Beamer guided his squad to bowl eligibility, knocking off a couple of SEC powerhouses along the way. That first-year success has landed the coach’s name in the mix for a high profile opening in the Big XII.
Just heard on @dpshow: OKC columnist @BerryTramel puts Shane Beamer at the top of the list to be HC at OU. Said if he was still on staff he'd be the guy, called him "impressive."
— Jay Philips (@JayPhilips1075) November 29, 2021
Jay Philips, a local radio host in Columbia, tweeted out that Beamer is at the top of the list for the head coaching vacancy at Oklahoma. The Sooners are now looking to fill a void following the departure of Lincoln Riley, who’s off to Los Angeles to take over at Southern Cal.
While it seems a bit premature that Beamer would gain this much momentum at a major program after just one season at South Carolina, there is a connection.
Prior to Beamer landing the job with the Gamecocks he was on staff as an offensive assistant in Norman. He coached on a staff that led the Sooners to the College Football Playoff multiple times and saw quarterback Kyler Murray win a Heisman.
Beamer has garnered some recent buzz for being named SEC Coach of the Year after leading the Gamecocks to a 6-6 overall record. Oklahoma is set to join the conference in 2022. It would make for some interesting headlines should he ultimately land the job.