The South Carolina Gamecocks came up short again, and the seat is scorching for head coach Shane Beamer. Expectations for the Gamecocks were not very high coming into the season, but there are still expectations.
After finishing 4-8 in their 2025 campaign, the time to win is now, but Beamer may already be fresh out of time.
Beamer is under contract at Columbia through 2030, and his buyout is reportedly around $22.5 million, which could influence how aggressive South Carolina is in pursuing another established head coach.
Under Beamer, the Gamecocks have had two losing seasons, and this might be the third. South Carolina suffered a crushing 35-34 loss in OT at home against Kentucky on Saturday after a 17-0 lead early in the game. They are now 2-3 overall and 0-3 in the SEC.
The coaching carousel is always spinning in college football, and here are some potential candidates for the job.
Jake Dickert – Wake Forest head coach
In his debut season at Wake Forest, he achieved a record of 9-4 and a bowl win with a team that finished 4-8 in the season prior. This season, the Deamon Deacons are 4-1 with a key win over Louisville and giving then ranked No. 5 Miami a run for their money. No other team has stood a chance against them. Prior to Wake Forest, he took over as acting head coach at Washington State in October 2021 and has a 32-24 overall record at both schools.
Brent Vigen – Montana State head coach
Montana State just snapped its 19-game win streak and is coming off an FCS national title. Vigen was hired in February 2021 and has a 66-13 overall record and appeared in four national championships. In the FCS playoffs, he is 12-3. While he is the only FCS coach on this list, he has proven he can win, and that is what South Carolina desperately needs.
Shannon Dawson – Miami offensive coordinator
The Canes’ offense is sizzling with Dawson as the offensive play caller. They are ranked first in total offense and average 554.8 yards per game and average 8.2 yards per play (both also best in the nation). Last season, he also led the nation in yards per play at 5.8 and appeared in the CFP National Championship game. With Cam Ward in 2024, Dawson’s offense was first in points per game at 43.9 and yards at 537.2. Dawson has previous FBS coaching experience with Houston, Southern Miss, and West Virginia.
Tim Polasek – North Dakota State head coach
North Dakota State is in its first season at the FBS and is 5-0 and first in the Mountain West. Tim Polasek is letting his track record speak for itself.
In three seasons as head coach, Polasek has a national championship and two Missouri Valley Football Conference championships. He is 4-1 in the FCS playoffs and is undefeated in the FBS. Polasek spent some time as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Wyoming from 2021 to 2023 and had an earlier stint with North Dakota State as offensive coordinator from 2014-2016 in which he won two more national championships.
