In his past 13 games against power-conference opponents, Shane Beamer has a record of 2-11. If you want a good idea of where South Carolina is at in year five of the Beamer era, that’s a pretty good start.
While no one can complain about his ability to recruit, the results on the field have failed to match it. Beamer has two future first-round picks at his disposal in QB LaNorris Sellers and EDGE Dylan Stewart, but After a 49-18 loss to Alabama over the weekend, the Gamecocks are now 2-2 this season — oh, and Stewart appears to be in open revolt against his coaching staff.
With Beamer on the way out, here is a list of coaches who can replace him and attempt to get South Carolina back on track in the SEC.
Charles Huff, Memphis HC
Here his name is again.
Huff comes up in just about every coaching search, and it’s with good reason. Whether with Marshall, Southern Miss or now Memphis, he has shown an ability to win. And with the Tigers, he has also shown his ability to recruit when money is available — something he will have in Columbia, given that SEC TV check and such a talent-rich area.
Learning from the best in Nick Saban, Huff has the desire and ability of a coach like Kirby Smart. But he has not had the same national profile or opportunity to show it just yet.
Memphis has been a stepping stone for many coaches to both the SEC and ACC. While Mike Norvell and Ryan Silverfield didn’t level up so well, Huff is a different breed of coach than they are. He loves to work, and he loves to recruit — two things which are extremely important. Not to mention, he will have better administration alignment with South Carolina than Norvell and Silverfield have at Florida State and Arkansas, respectively.
Huff has shown many times that he does not ever mind taking a new job, even if it happens in the middle of a season. If Beamer is let go at some point this fall, calling Huff, only 600 miles away in Memphis, can have you a new coach in 10 hours. Seven if there’s no traffic.
Jason Eck, New Mexico HC
This hire would entirely be tied to whether Wisconsin wants him or not.
Eck, a former Badger player and Idaho head coach, came to New Mexico on a five-year contract which was extended to 2030 late last season. He’s immediately paid off this loyalty with a 3-1 record, the one loss being a 14-6 defeat to Oklahoma in Norman.
Eck has been a rising star for two seasons now. Had Luke Fickell been let go following the 2025 season, he would already be coaching in Madison. But, with the Badgers’ upset of Penn State on Saturday, the tide may have shifted there. This would leave Eck free to jump to a different school; finding his way to the SEC rather than remaining in the Mountain West or heading to the Big 12 or ACC would be a major benefit to taking the South Carolina job over some others which may be open.
Tony Elliott, Virginia HC
If you want someone who has extensive experience in the South, and specifically in the state of South Carolina, you can do no better than Elliott — who spent 11 years on the Clemson coaching staff, including seven calling plays for Dabo Swinney as offensive coordinator. That run included being the play-caller for both Tigers national championship runs.
After a challenging start both on and off the field at Virginia, Elliott has the Cavaliers coming off their first 11-win campaign in school history. He also has UVA with a 3-1 record early in the 2026 season, and there looks to be no major dropoff following the historic season in Charlottesville.
With the time Elliott has spent in the South at Clemson and South Carolina State, his familiarity with the state is unmatched — and this can lead to local recruits wanting to play for him. Especially if Swinney is out at Clemson following this season.
Buster Faulkner, Florida OC
Buster Faulkner almost had Georgia Tech in the ACC title game rather than Duke in 2025 before a loss in their final conference game left them on the outside looking in.
When Jon Sumrall got the head position at Florida, he knew what all defensive coaches need to start realizing: They cannot run the offense the same way they do their defense. For this reason, he brought in Faulkner as OC as the duo attempts to get the Gators back to the top of the SEC.
Through four games, Florida has done just that. With quarterback Aaron Philo and running back Jadan Baugh, Faulkner has this offense humming, including a 52-28 win over then-No. 4 Ole Miss. This win pushed Florida into the top 10 of the AP poll for the first time since 2021 and gave Sumrall his first big victory in Gainesville.
Without Faulkner, Georgia Tech lost to Colorado at home in Week 1. This past weekend, the Yellow Jackets lost to Stanford, 34-27, dropping them to 1-3 on the year.
Faulkner is that good, and he can bring this type of dynamic offense to South Carolina. Although this is not an SEC-contending roster at present, Faulkner can get the most out of who he has, and eight or nine wins most years is on the table — something which has not been true since Steve Spurrier left back in 2015.
Manny Diaz, Duke HC
After Darian Mensah and Cooper Barkate decided on the final day of the transfer portal to bolt for Miami, Diaz and Duke had to scramble to find replacements. This left Manny Diaz to cobble together a team in 2026 which many thought would return to the basement of the ACC.
Instead, Duke has built another sturdy squad around star running back Nate Sheppard, who has taken over the reins of the offense. The Blue Devils are still undefeated at 4-0, including victories over both Tulane and Illinois — teams which defeated Duke in 2025. It also shows the ability Diaz has to change his coaching when it is required due to circumstances, something many coaches find it hard to do or flatly refuse to do.
Diaz will bring a new philosophy to Columbia as a defensive coach. But maybe the change he will bring is exactly what South Carolina needs with their next coaching hire.
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