South Carolina is expected to make the hiring of Kendal Briles as the program’s next offensive coordinator official on Thursday, according to information obtained by GamecockCentral.com.
Briles, who currently holds the titles of associate head coach, offensive coordinator, and quarterbacks coach at TCU, will take over for Mike Shula, who was dismissed after the Gamecocks’ loss to Ole Miss earlier this season.
The University of South Carolina has formally announced a Board of Trustees meeting for Thursday morning at 9:00 a.m., with several athletics-related contracts listed for discussion—Briles’ deal among them.
Along with Briles, sources indicate that Randy Clements from TCU and Stan Drayton from Penn State are also set to join Shane Beamer’s revamped offensive staff.
South Carolina’s offense endured a difficult 2025 season, finishing 102nd in scoring, 105th in total offense, 118th in rushing, and 125th on third downs.
Briles arrives after spending the last three seasons at TCU, including the 2025 campaign. His résumé includes offensive coordinator stints at Arkansas (2020-2022), Florida State (2019), Houston (2018), Florida Atlantic (2017), and Baylor (2015-2016), and he previously played at Texas and Houston.
Beamer is targeting Briles specifically because he brings a reputation for immediate offensive improvement.
At TCU, Briles oversaw increases in overall offensive production during his first season. His arrival at Arkansas coincided with major gains in both yardage and scoring. A similar trend followed at Florida State. Houston saw its offense jump by roughly 15 points and 90 yards per game from 2017 to 2018 after Briles took over. Comparable growth happened at Florida Atlantic as well.
A former Broyles Award finalist, Briles has worked under some of the most respected offensive minds in college football, including Art Briles, Lane Kiffin, and Sonny Dykes.
While at Arkansas, he helped build one of the nation’s most explosive rushing attacks, led by standout back Rocket Sanders—who later transferred to South Carolina.
His time at TCU was also productive. Briles previously crossed paths with current USC athletic director Jeremiah Donati while both were at TCU.
In 2024, TCU quarterback Josh Hoover shattered the school’s single-season passing yards record under Briles’ direction. Over the past two seasons, TCU ranked 31st nationally in total offense, and in 2023 the Horned Frogs soared to 11th. For the last three years, Briles has also overseen offenses that have finished inside the top 10 in passing offense.
