Shane Beamer is Big Mad at Lane Kiffin

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by WILL FOLKS

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University of South Carolina head football coach Shane Beamer – whose program went 4-8 last season (but is inexplicably high as a kite on offseason “hopium”) – was feeling his oats at a press conference this week introducing the Gamecocks’ newest assistant coach.

As previously reported, South Carolina added Penn State defensive line coach Deion Barnes to its staff this week – replacing former defensive ends/outside linebacker coach Sterling Lucas, who is now at LSU.

Beamer is apparently big mad at new LSU head coach Lane Kiffin for poaching Lucas without giving him a courtesy call, violating what he referred to as an “unwritten rule” amongst college coaches. According to Beamer, Lucas told him at 11:00 p.m. one evening that he’d been offered a job on Kiffin’s staff – and was informed at 9:00 a.m. the following morning that Lucas was leaving.

Beamer said he never heard from Kiffin about his interest in Lucas, whom he derisively referred to as the “previous coach that was here.”

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“That didn’t happen,” Beamer told reporters. “There is no rule that it has to happen, but there is an unspoken rule.”

Beamer added that Kiffin’s failure to give him a heads-up put the Gamecocks in a difficult situation as they attempted to replace Lucas.

“(It) wasn’t a very thorough interview process where you have a few days to plan or think that it might be coming down the track,” Beamer said.

I’m sorry… but what, exactly, was keeping Beamer occupied? South Carolina’s coaches clearly weren’t busy preparing for a bowl game when Lucas was hired by Kiffin just prior to Chrismas.

First of all, Beamer’s unnecessary comments about Kiffin detracted from the rollout of Barnes – who by all accounts is a significant upgrade from the “previous coach that was here.” Barnes coached numerous all-Big Ten and all-America defensive linemen during his tenure at Penn State – including last year’s No. 3 overall selection, Abdul Carter.

The fact that his addition to the Gamecock staff has been overshadowed by Beamer’s petty whining is disappointing… because he’s a helluva “get.”

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Teacher. Leader.@DBarnes_18 ? pic.twitter.com/PtT6Cp7UFh

— South Carolina Football (@GamecockFB) January 2, 2026

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Additionally, there’s another “unwritten rule” with which Beamer should probably familiarize himself: it’s a bad look to talk trash about those who have demonstrated how much better they are than he is.

In six seasons at Ole Miss, Kiffin posted a 55-19 (.743) record – including a 32-17 (.653) mark against SEC opponents. Kiffin’s teams are also 4-0 against the Gamecocks – including a pair of decisive Rebel victories over Beamer in 2024 and 2025. Ole Miss has qualified for the postseason each year Kiffin has been in Oxford – and he guided his final squad to a No. 6 seed in the College Football Playoff (CFP) before bolting for Baton Rouge.

Don’t like how he’s done it? Fine. We’re all entitled to clutch at our pearls. But Kiffin is winning…

Beamer, conversely, is 33-30 (.524) through five seasons at South Carolina, including a 16-24 (.400) record against SEC foes and a 7-21 (.250) mark against ranked opponents. He’s missed the postseason in two of the last three years and has never made the CFP.

Oh, and he’s 0-2 against Kiffin.

Bottom line? Only one of these coaches has room to talk.. and it’s not Shane Beamer.

One important caveat: please don’t confuse these comments as coming from a place of animus toward South Carolina’s head coach. I genuinely like the guy, love the energy he brings to the job and admire his skill when it comes to recruiting. Unlike his predecessor Will Muschamp, he’s the kind of coach you want to see succeed – because it’s clear his heart is in the right place.

The only problem? He’s not succeeding… which is why he should probably think twice before starting a public beef with a coach who is.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…

Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.

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