As college football becomes increasingly professionalized, many Power Four programs are reshaping their operations by adopting an NFL-style model centered around general managers.
Some schools have gone as far as pulling directly from the NFL ranks. North Carolina made headlines when first-year head coach Bill Belichick brought in longtime NFL executive Mike Lombardi, who became the nation’s highest-paid college GM at $1.5 million per year. Stanford also turned heads, hiring former No. 1 overall pick Andrew Luck to oversee his alma mater’s program with responsibilities mirroring those of an NFL general manager.
The SEC hasn’t lagged behind. Alabama, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Texas, Texas A&M, and Vanderbilt are among the schools that have added GMs to handle roster management, recruiting, NIL, and more. Still, not everyone is buying into the new trend.
South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer has made it clear he prefers the traditional approach — doing it all himself.
“We don’t have a person that has a title of general manager, because when I think of general managers, I think of NFL GMs who are in charge of everything — from hiring coaches, to the equipment room, training staff, travel, and roster construction,” Beamer explained during the SEC’s weekly teleconference. “We have great people here that handle those things, but not one person who oversees all of it. In my mind, I’m the head coach and the general manager.”
Beamer went on to contrast his philosophy with that of other coaches who lean on GMs.
“I talk to some head coaches who don’t want to do it all, so they just hire a GM to recruit, put the roster together, and they’ll just coach the team. I don’t want that. I love recruiting. I love every aspect of this program, and ultimately, I’m responsible for it,” he said. “Whether it’s recruiting, who we’re bringing in, or what we’re paying them, I’ve got great people helping me — but it all comes back to me.”
In a season where five Power Four head coaches have already been fired in just the first month, Beamer also expressed caution about how much power a GM could wield in high-stakes situations.
“You’ve got to be careful,” he added. “When you hire a GM, you’re putting another person between you and the athletic director. That GM might say: ‘Well, I built a great roster for Shane, but it didn’t get done on the field.’ That’s a risk, having that go-between.”
Cynical or not, Beamer made it clear: while the NFL model is gaining traction across college football, South Carolina won’t be following suit anytime soon.
