COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina head football coach Shane Beamer has been named the Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year and is one of eight finalists for the American Heart Association’s 2024 national Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award, it was announced Wednesday.
The award is given each January to a college football coach for contributions that make the sport better for athletes and fans alike by demonstrating grit, integrity and a winning approach to coaching and life – both on and off the field. The award is the only college football coaching honor given after the National Champion has been determined.
The finalists and Coach of the Year recipient are voted on by members of the National Sports Media Association, the Bryant Awards’ Executive Leadership Team and the Bryant Family. The legendary Bear Bryant won six national championships at Alabama during his 25-year stop in Tuscaloosa.
The finalists for the award are:
- Shane Beamer, South Carolina
- Curt Cignetti, Indiana
- Spencer Danielson, Boise State
- Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State
- Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame
- Rhett Lashlee, SMU
- Jeff Monken, Army
- Steve Sarkisian, Texas
In 2024, Beamer guided the Gamecocks to nine regular season wins, something that has been accomplished just five times in school history. He was named SEC Coach of the Year by the Associated Press and he was a semifinalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award and he was a finalist for the Bobby Dodd and the George Munger National Coach of the Year awards.
The Gamecocks will finish the season with their highest ranking since 2013, and Beamer now has more wins (29) through his first four seasons at South Carolina than any other coach in school history, one more than Steve Spurrier.
