South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer is being well compensated for leading the Gamecocks — and according to the latest USA Today college football coaching salary report, he’s now among the top 20 highest-paid coaches in the country.
Beamer, who signed a contract extension in January keeping him at USC through 2030, will earn $8.15 million this season. That figure places him 20th nationally and ninth among SEC coaches, further solidifying his position among the sport’s elite earners.
Within the SEC, Beamer trails only some of college football’s biggest names:
- Kirby Smart (Georgia) – $13.28 million
- Steve Sarkisian (Texas) – $10.8 million
- Kalen DeBoer (Alabama) – $10.25 million
- Brian Kelly (LSU) – $10.175 million
- Lane Kiffin (Ole Miss) – $9 million
- Eli Drinkwitz (Missouri) – $9 million
- Josh Heupel (Tennessee) – $9 million
- Mark Stoops (Kentucky) – $9 million
Outside the conference, Clemson’s Dabo Swinney also outpaces Beamer with a $11.447 million salary.
At the other end of the SEC pay scale, Vanderbilt’s Clark Lea reportedly earns around $3.71 million, though the school’s private status makes that figure unofficial. Only Mississippi State’s Jeff Lebby joins him below the $6.5 million threshold — every other SEC head coach earns more.
While Beamer’s deal includes built-in escalators, his salary won’t surpass the top-tier SEC earners anytime soon. However, depending on future coaching changes and contract adjustments, Beamer could easily climb into the top 15 nationally in the coming years.
The final year of his deal will see his salary rise to $8.65 million, ensuring stability and a continued commitment from South Carolina’s athletic department.
USA Today also noted that some salary data across college football remains incomplete, but none of the missing figures would push another coach ahead of Beamer’s impressive annual paycheck.
In short, Shane Beamer’s extension proves one thing — South Carolina is all-in on its head coach as he continues to build his program for the long haul.
