Wow, what an epic collapse for South Carolina football and coach Shane Beamer! After being up 30-3 on Texas A&M at halftime, they completely fell apart in the second half, getting shut out 31-30. This kind of second-half meltdown is a gut punch for the fans and has put Beamer’s job security on thin ice. With the team now sitting at 3-7 and officially missing a bowl game, the pressure is reaching his job role.

Nobody expected this kind of turnaround for South Carolina Gamecocks football heading into this season. The AP Poll had them ranked 13th in its preseason rankings. LaNorris Sellers was one of the Heisman favorites. It made sense because Shane Beamer was coming off a solid nine-win season in 2024 and had just signed a big contract extension that runs through 2030.

But the 2025 season has been a completely different story, plagued by poor play-calling and a near-bottom-ranked offense in the SEC. Fan dissatisfaction is boiling over after this latest embarrassing loss, and the poor performance makes it difficult for anyone in the administration to defend his current position. He will probably have to pull off a stunning turnaround next season to quiet the critics and critics, but the SEC moves faster than Wall Street, so there’s no guarantee.

Plus, you can’t be a head coach if you are on the wrong end of a 28-point comeback and go 1-7 in the SEC. They are the first team to blow a 28-point lead since 2004. That should be enough reason to fire him immediately. However, if the Gamecocks board decides to pull the $27.9 million buyout trigger, here are 3 under-the-radar head coaches who could replace him at Columbia.

1) Jamey Chadwell (Liberty Flames)

Before you come with a pitchfork, hear us out. Yes, the Flames (4-5) are having one of their worst seasons under Jamey Chadwell. But you can’t turn a blind eye to his past success. Jamey Chadwell could be a fantastic hire because he has shown he can build a winning culture brick by brick, which is something South Carolina really needs right now.

He has had a ton of success at smaller schools like Coastal Carolina and Liberty, winning multiple conference championships and earning a bunch of Coach of the Year awards along the way. His best year was in 2020 with Coastal Carolina. He famously led the team to an 11-1 season, and they ranked as high as No. 9 in the AP Poll, proving he can take a program to new heights. With a decent playable squad, Chadwell’s offenses are also super creative and exciting, which is something the fans in Columbia would love to see after struggling so much recently.

2) Alex Gholesh (USF Bulls)

Look, the South Florida Bulls lost one against Navy today. But that does not necessarily take away anything from Alex Golesh. Outside of Lane Kiffin and maybe others, he has become one of the most desirable coaches in college football this season.

When he took over the USF Bulls, they had only won one game the previous season, but he immediately led them to a bowl game in his first year in 2023. Mind you, the Gamecocks nation does not like the slow rebuild. South Florida is now 7-3 and probably out of playoff contention after being teased for a long time. But there is zero doubt about him pulling fast success at Columbia.

What makes Golesh such a perfect fit is his ability to create an explosive, modern offense, a huge upgrade from what South Carolina has now. Look at his Tennessee days. As the Vols offensive coordinator, he was the brain behind the nation’s No. 1 scoring offense in 2022, which averaged an incredible 47.3 points per game and set multiple school records. He also knows how to develop quarterbacks, turning Hendon Hooker and Byrum Brown into stars, and he has shown a knack for both high school recruiting and using the transfer portal effectively, bringing in top talent for USF. Golesh could be the jolt the Gamecocks program needs.

3) Brent Key (Georgia Tech)

Brent Key always finds a way to win. That is their whole 2025 season in a nutshell. Brent would be a good fit because of his deep SEC ties and his track record of turning mid-level programs into conference contenders. He is an Alabama native and has spent time coaching with Nick Saban, so he knows the conference inside and out. This helps him not just with Xs and Os, but also with recruiting in the highly competitive southern region.

This season, he has taken the YellowJackets to their best start since 1966, guiding them to a 9-1 record. Just look at today’s game. The Yellow Jackets scored 19 points in the fourth quarter to complete a 36-34 comeback victory. With this dub, they will probably be ranked inside the top 12 in the country and finally make their long-awaited playoff debut.He even went toe to toe with Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs last season in one of the most anticipated games of the 2024 season. What more do you need?