Despite the Gamecocks losing multiple games and the offense struggling, Shane Beamer didn’t rush into replacing his offensive coordinator last season. Instead, the program made the change late in the 2025 season. Beamer had nearly a month before the regular season ended to evaluate what the program needed. He spoke with several coaches, but one candidate stood out, Kendal Briles, who already understood what it took to survive and succeed in the SEC.

“I liked the fact that he had SEC experience from his time at Arkansas as the offensive coordinator. You come into this league, it’s different, man. And that excited me,” Beamer said on the CFBudge podcast on June 17 about the major reason behind hiring Kendal Briles. “Somebody who has been in those venues and knows what you’re getting into when you play in this conference. The fact that he had been successful at multiple places with different style quarterbacks.”

South Carolina badly needed an offensive reset after a 4-8 finish last season. The Gamecocks averaged just 336.3 yards and 22.7 points per game, ranking near the bottom of the SEC in both categories. The offense lacked consistency, explosive plays, and an identity. Shane Beamer brought Briles in to change exactly that.

South Carolina QB1 LaNorris Sellers is extremely prolific with his legs, having already rushed for 995 yards in his two years as the starting QB for the Gamecocks. Last year, though, he rushed for just 270 yards. Moreover, his passing efficiency dropped by almost 5% from 2024. With Briles’ experience of developing prolific QBs like KJ Jefferson at Arkansas, he was clearly the right fit to churn out LaNorris Sellers’ maximum potential.

In 2019, Briles took over an Arkansas team that was in a similar position to what the Gamecocks had last season. The Razorbacks averaged just 21.4 points per game and 340.1 yards per game. Two seasons later, the team improved to 30.9 points per game while accumulating 441.7 yards of offense. QB KJ Jefferson rushed for a team-high 664 yards. At the Gamecocks, Briles is hoping to achieve the same.

“Let’s not look in the rearview mirror. Let’s look ahead of us. And let’s go out and attack this year,” Briles said in an interview with The Post and Courier. “You want to build everything around him (Sellers) where he’s comfortable. If he’s comfortable and confident, and obviously he’s got a world of ability, he’s going to be pretty confident about the rest of the offense.”

Briles’s offensive philosophy focuses on creating stress for defenses through tempo, spacing, and putting playmakers in favorable situations. Even during spring practice, he emphasized that the Gamecocks were not trying to install everything overnight. His focus was on building a foundation, helping players understand the system, and letting them play fast rather than think too much. That compatibility was probably the primary reason why Shane Beamer took his time before hiring Briles.

Shane Beamer explains what went on behind the scenes in hiring Kendal Briles

LaNorris Sellers enters another season with a new coordinator, but Briles’ offense is designed to give quarterbacks clear reads while also taking advantage of their athletic ability. His system has historically featured quarterback runs, quick decisions, vertical shots, and a strong rushing attack. Clearly, at least Beamer is confident that his hire will turn the Gamecocks’ fortunes around.

“I had 4 weeks left before the end of the regular season. My focus was on our current team and finishing out those four games, trying to get bowl eligible,” Beamer explained. “But it also gave me time to really sit back and be thorough and analyze what I wanted to do with the position. And then who was out there? Kendal just separated himself from everyone else. One, the person he is, is just that people who have worked with him rave about him.”

Briles has produced successful offenses with different QB styles throughout his career at Baylor, Florida Atlantic, Houston, Florida State, Arkansas, and TCU (most recently). So, this year, the Gamecocks see some stark changes compared to last season, when Mike Shula was the OC but was relieved of his duties after nine games.