Saturday night couldn’t have gone much worse for Shane Beamer. Just hours after South Carolina’s crushing 26–7 home loss to No. 14 Oklahoma stunned a packed Williams-Brice Stadium, a new headache arrived. Brad Crawford dropped a report linking Beamer to the Virginia Tech head coaching job, saying the connection “is more than speculation, it has legitimacy.” It’s true that with four losses in five SEC games and a fan base growing restless, the cracks in Beamer’s South Carolina dream are starting to show. Also, Virginia Tech is home to Beamer. His father, Frank Beamer, built a legendary program there, one that defined Hokie football for decades. So naturally, fans began to wonder, is Shane looking for a way back to Blacksburg?

By Sunday afternoon, Beamer was on the defensive. During his weekly teleconference, Beamer slammed the door against Virginia Tech rumors. A recent post by Wes Mitchel revealed the news on X.

“I have no idea where that story came from. I have conveyed publicly many times how much I want to be here. And I respect the question, I understand you asking it, and I’m not mad. I’ve conveyed many times how much I want to be here. This is my dream job. I said that when I came here. Nothing has changed. I am pissed off at the way we are performing right now, and it’s not acceptable,” he admitted.“I came here to win a championship, and right now we’re not getting it done.” So, Beamer’s staying put, at least for now. But beneath the loyalty talk lies an uncomfortable truth.

Right now, the Gamecocks are 3–4 and fading fast in the SEC race (1-4). When Ray Tanner hired Beamer in 2020, he was seen as the guy to wipe away the remnants of the Will Muschamp era. And for a while, he delivered. South Carolina posted back-to-back Top 25 finishes, generated SEC Coach of the Year buzz, and rebuilt its roster with energy and swagger. But things have changed. With the new athletic director, Jeremiah Donati, now in charge, the tone inside the building feels different. Expectations are higher, patience is thinner, and Beamer knows it.

Yet, Beamer is still hopeful that things can turn around. “Last year, we were two points away from the College Football Playoff,” he said, reassuring himself and the fans that the dream isn’t dead yet. He’s vowed to “work his rear end off” to turn things around. The situation is undeniably terrible. But Beamer insists he’s not going anywhere. “We’re in a storm right now that I’m going to get us out of,” he said. But as he fights to steady the Gamecocks, the Hokies are moving in a very different direction.

Virginia Tech’s coaching search is heating up

The coaching hunt at Virginia Tech has suddenly become intense and quick. Brent Pry was fired after a 0–3 start and a 16–24 overall record, and now athletic director Whit Babcock has assembled an eight-member search committee that includes big names like Bruce Arians, Bud Foster, and Eddie Royal.

The process is being kept tightly under wraps. “Babcock and the search committee members have signed NDAs and will no longer comment on the process,” reporter Andy Bitter noted on X. The stakes are really high. A huge $229 million sports budget was approved at Virginia Tech, and the incoming head coach will take over what Babcock referred to as a “game-changer.” The recruit will have a “wonderful opportunity…with the increased funding and the amazing fan base,” as President Tim Sands said. According to sources, the next coach could be earning eight figures, making them one of the highest-paid coaches in the nation, surpassing names like Josh Heupel and Lane Kiffin.

And the internet is buzzing with rumors. Names like Shane Beamer, Alex Golesh, Ryan Silverfield, and even James Franklin are coming up. But the Hokies don’t seem to be rushing in the race. The hunt “will be extensive and thorough…naming of the head coach will occur when it occurs,” Babcock stated. They’re looking for someone who can do it all, including coaching and possibly acting as a GM to establish a long-term program. As Sands noted, “Virginia Tech is at a historic juncture…Today’s action unlocks the door to future success.” With the pressure mounting, whoever lands the job will have to meet the sky-high expectations of Hokie football.