Beamer Named Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week

Officials from the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl today announced that South Carolina head football coach Shane Beamer has been selected as The Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week presented by PNC.

The Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week award honors a football coach who led his team to a significant victory during the previous week, while also embodying the award’s three pillars of scholarship, leadership and integrity.

Now in his second season at the helm of South Carolina, Shane Beamer earned his first victory over a ranked opponent after defeating No. 13 Kentucky 24-14 this past weekend. The Gamecocks traveled to Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky and earned their first road win over the Wildcats since the 2012 season. South Carolina scored 17 unanswered points and was led by running back MarShawn Lloyd, who totaled 110 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

“Winning conference games was always a priority for Coach Dodd, and he always prepared his teams to battle hostile environments and favored opponents,” said Jim Terry, chairman of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation. “It’s easy to see why Coach Beamer is considered one of college football’s top young coaches. He had the Gamecocks ready to do the same.”

Beamer was named the head coach of the Gamecocks in Dec. 2020, after serving as an assistant coach at the University of Oklahoma from 2018-20. He also coached alongside Steve Spurrier from 2007-2010 in various assistant coaching positions, before joining his father Frank at Virginia Tech for four seasons. Beamer is coming off a 7-6 record during his first season as a head coach, leading South Carolina to its first Bowl game since the 2018 season.

Off the field, Beamer has committed himself to numerous charitable initiatives supporting elementary schools and students in the counties surrounding South Carolina’s campus. He and his wife, Emily, launched the Beamer Family Foundation, which works alongside elementary schools in the Richland County area under the YOU CAN initiative. These schools receive school supplies, funding, university student volunteer help and much more as a part of the initiative launched by the Beamers.

Beamer recently competed in the 2022 Peach Bowl Challenge charity golf tournament this past year where he raised $17,500 for the foundation. He has also worked alongside the South Carolina Coaches for Charity, which raises money for charitable organizations with support from local coaches.
In the classroom, Beamer’s student-athletes recorded an impressive 990 Academic Progress Rate in 2021, the sixth-highest mark in the FBS, while also posting an 89 Graduation Success Rate.

“Managing a program that not only succeeds on the field, but also in the classroom, is a challenging and noteworthy task,” said Peach Bowl, Inc. CEO & President Gary Stokan. “Less than two years in, Coach Beamer is already leaving his mark on the South Carolina football program across all three pillars of scholarship, leadership and integrity.”

The Dodd Trophy presented by PNC– along with the Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week Award – celebrates the head coach of a FBS team who enjoys success on the gridiron, while also stressing the importance of scholarship, leadership and integrity.

A panel consisting of all previous winners, national media, a member of the Dodd family and a College Football Hall of Fame member will identify the final list of potential recipients at the conclusion of the 2022 season. The winner of the 2022 Dodd Trophy will be announced in Atlanta during the week of the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.