Shane Beamer hires one new USC football assistant, gives raise to another

Shane Beamer’s South Carolina football coaching staff is almost complete again.

The USC board of trustees on Friday approved the hire of receivers coach James Coley. . He coached at Texas A&M last year but weren’t retained after Mike Elko was named the coach after Jimbo Fisher was fired.

Coley will take Jody Wright’s spot on the staff. Wright, USC’s previous tight end coach, left this week to become Murray State’s head coach. Justin Stepp is expected to move over from receivers and coach tight ends, according to The Big Spur.

Coley’s contract is for two years and is worth $650,000 this season and $850,000 next season. Wright made $400,000 last season.

With an average salary of $750,000, Coley would be the third-highest-paid South Carolina assistant behind defensive coordinator Clayton White ($1.2 million) and offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains ($1 million).

Coley was Texas A&M’s offensive coordinator last season and made $950,000, according to the USA Today coaching salary database. He was the fourth-highest paid assistant coach in the Southeastern Conference in 2023. He wasn’t retained by new Aggies coach Mike Elko, who was hired to replace Jimbo Fisher.

The board also approved a raise for defensive end/outside linebackers coach Sterling Lucas. The former N.C. State assistant will make $575,000 next season after making $410,000 last season.

Lucas has been big on the recruiting front for the Gamecocks, helping to land five-star prospects Nyck Harbor and Dylan Stewart from the Washington, D.C., area.

No contract was brought before the board Friday for Marquel Blackwell, who is expected to be the school’s next running backs coach, according to 247Sports. Blackwell previously worked at Texas A&M and would replace Montario Hardesty, who wasn’t retained.

Before Texas A&M, Blackwell spent one year at Ole Miss and three seasons at Houston and also worked at West Virginia and Toledo.

SOUTH CAROLINA ASSISTANT COACHING SALARIES

Clayton White (DC) — $1.2 million

Dowell Loggains (OC) — $1 million

James Coley (WRs) — $750,000 (average)

Pete Lembo (ST) — $725,000

Torrian Gray (DBs) — $675,000

Sterling Lucas (DEs/OLBs) — $575,000

Justin Stepp (TEs) — $525,000

Travian Robertson (DL) — $400,000

Lonnie Teasley (OL) — $410,000