Coastal Carolina football, basketball coach urge lawmakers to back athlete compensation bill

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WBTW) — Head coaches at Coastal Carolina and the state’s other schools should have the power to help athletes negotiate directly with companies seeking to profit off their names, the university’s football coach told lawmakers on Tuesday.

“When you visit with players and you recruit, they look at us at the head coaches like the enemy, like it’s our fault because there are places that are doing this and unfortunately, we can’t,” Beck said at a House Education and Public Works Committee meeting.

The bill would overhaul a law passed a few years ago when name, image and likeness laws were just starting. It would allow universities to work with companies or others who want to make NIL offers.

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Beck was joined by his fellow football coaches at Clemson and the University of South Carolina, while USC’s basketball coaches Lamont Paris and Dawn Staley prowled the halls of a legislative office building to lobby for the law.

CCU women’s basketball head coach Kevin Pederson were among those who testified.

“When you recruit your top recruits, the conversation’s always going to come back to NIL. That’s the hot topic. They see you can get free plane rides for your family to come to home games, they see three-bedroom apartments with a great city view, they see all these and they assume that’s being brokered through the coaching staff,” Pederson said.

The school could also evaluate the deals and give advice to athletes. It is similar to proposals in other states who also are trying to go around the NCAA.

“They need our help. They need our ability to intervene, to sit down and be an intermediary when these opportunities arise, so they can make the best decisions for themselves,” CCU athletic director Matt Hogue said on Tuesday. “It’s about equipping and giving our athletes the ability to be their best selves.”

The House committee unanimously approved the bill, sending it out for a floor vote.

Information from the Associated Press was included in this story.

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Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here.

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