Shane Beamer is Clearly the Most Sensitive Coach in the SEC

SEC football coaches love to tell the media that they don’t read what the media writes. They don’t have time for the outside noise. They’re just worried about what’s going on within their program.

They’re all liars.

College coaches are collectively the most thin-skinned millionaires on the planet. Some handle it differently than others. One might call and give a journalist an earful for being too critical. Many are professionals and handle fair criticism in stride. Shane Beamer has a different strategy.

The South Carolina head coach clearly pays attention to the outside noise. It’s been evident throughout the years. He’s tried to cultivate an image as a media darling, all while lashing out from time to time. My personal favorite happened at the Dowell Loggains introductory press conference. One reporter criticized the hire, so Beamer directed his entire opening statement to Gene.

Poor, Gene. At least Beamer got the last laugh. Loggains turned LaNorris Sellers into a projected Top Five pick, then got the head coaching job at App. State after a 9-win season. I digress.

Beamer Literally Creates Personal Bulletin Board Material

In The Accountant, Ben Affleck is a number-crunching savant who also beats up bad guys. In his forensic accounting process, he fills whiteboards until he has to write on the glass of a conference room wall. Shane Beamer has a similar process, except for the haters.

In episode five of Any Given Saturday, the Netflix documentary shows the Gamecocks in a rut, losing three of four games. As criticism for Beamer grows louder, he hears it all and he writes it on his glass window.

This guy clearly reads his mentions. Social media haters aren’t his only fuel. He’s still caught up in Mark Stoops’ “stupid sunglasses” comment from 2022. Not only does he have it written on his window, there is a “Culture > Climate” t-shirt in his office.

Shane Beamer clearly hears the noise, and even though he may like to portray himself as the victim, his process of drinking Haterade works. He has a winning record in three of four seasons, and has a knack for getting his teams to play at their best when it matters most, November.

Kentucky climbed up the SEC ladder by regularly beating South Carolina. After winning seven of eight in the series, Mark Stoops has now lost three straight to Beamer. Stopping that skid won’t be easy when the Wildcats travel to Williams-Brice Stadium on Sept. 27.