South Carolina football coach Shane Beamer hired Jimmy Lindsey, a Cheraw, South Carolina native, to his first coaching staff back in 2021. Lindsey spent two seasons with the Gamecocks and was set to return for his third year in Columbia but abruptly left after spring practice for a bigger contract at LSU, taking the same defensive line coaching job that he had under Beamer.
When he left, the South Carolina football program got a check from LSU to pay Lindsey's contract buyout, and the Gamecocks brought in USC legend Travian Robertson, a potential rising star in the coaching industry, to take Lindsey's place.
Now, someone else will be taking Lindsey's place again as the LSU Tigers have fired him after just one season in Baton Rogue.
After a disastrous 2023 season for the Bayou Bengals on defense,head coach Brian Kelly announced on Wednesday that he had fired defensive coordinator Matt House, and with House, Kelly also sent three defensive assistants packing, as well. Lindsey was joined by cornerbacks coach Robert Steeples and safeties coach Kerry Cooks in getting the axe.
The Gamecocks, on the other hand, appeared to be better coached up front under Robertson, especially late in the season after Carolina switched to a 3-3-5 look on defense.
Robertson helped Carolina retain their top three defensive tackles from last year's roster as TJ Sanders, Tonka Hemingway, and Boogie Huntley all announced they were returning to the South Carolina football program (though all three had NFL and transfer portal opportunities). They also brought in two major transfers in Jerome Simmons (Highland Community College) and Deandre Jules (Pittsburgh).
Lindsey's recruiting at the defensive tackle spot had been lacking toward the end of his tenure in Columbia as evidenced by South Carolina football signing zero high school defensive tackles in the class of 2024 in the early signing period. Gamecock fans are hoping that Robertson's first full offseason with his alma mater will yield more positive results on the recruiting front.