South Carolina was predicted to finish 11th in the SEC during the league’s preseason Media Days, so hopes were not overly high entering Shane Beamer’s sixth season in Columbia. The Gamecocks were coming off a 4-8 season, which marked its second losing record in three years.

Beamer needed his team to get off to a fast start, but that has not happened. With Saturday’s 35-34 overtime home loss to Kentucky in a game South Carolina led 17-0, the Gamecocks have fallen to 0-3 in the SEC.

In addition to the struggles on the field, South Carolina’s best player is suspended indefinitely. Dylan Stewart, a projected Top 10 pick in the NFL Draft at defensive end, punched an Alabama player last week and had altercations with the South Carolina coaching staff. He is not with the team and Beamer said he will determine when Stewart returns.

Beamer’s buyout is approximately $24 million, according to Yahoo Sports. He is under contract through 2030. Beamer is 35-33 in five-plus years at South Carolina.

If South Carolina decides to move on from Beamer, here are some candidates who make get into the mix.

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Candidates to replace Shane Beamer at South Carolina

Buster Faulkner, Florida offensive coordinator

Faulkner is a hot name with the revival of the Gators offense. Faulkner was the QB coach at Georgia from 2020-2022 before taking over as offensive coordinator at Georgia Tech for three years. The 45-year-old has never been a head coach.

Charles Huff, Memphis head coach

Huff is 4-1 in his first season at Memphis after leaving Southern Miss, where he took the Eagles from 1-11 to 7-5 in his one season. Prior to that, he won the Sun Belt at Marshall in his fourth season. Marshall hired him off Nick Saban’s Alabama staff, where he was assistant head coach. In his second season there, Marshall upset Notre Dame 26-21.

Shannon Dawson, Miami offensive coordinator

Dawson has directed the Miami offense since 2023 and has had them in the top five in the nation in scoring in two of those four seasons. He has also been the offensive coordinator at Houston, West Virginia and Kentucky. The 49-year-old Louisiana native has never been a head coach.

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Jason Eck, New Mexico head coach

Eck went 9-4 in his first season at New Mexico last year, which matches the best record at the school since 1982. Eck played offensive line at Wisconsin and would seem to be a good match in the Big Ten, but a lot of schools are going to come calling if he puts together another winning record. He was the head coach at Idaho for three years before going to New Mexico.

Shiel Wood, Texas Tech defensive coordinator

Wood played at Wofford (S.C.) and spent eight years there as an assistant coach. He has been at Texas Tech for two years, leading the nation’s No. 3 defense in 2025. Wood only has two other years of P5 experience – one year at Georgia Tech and one year at Houston.

Tony Elliott, Virginia head coach

Elliott played at Clemson and served on Dabo Swinney’s staff for 12 seasons, including the 2016 and 2018 national championships. He was the national assistant coach of the year after the 2016 title. Should Clemson look to make a chance, Elliott would likely get looked at. He’s in his fifth season at Virginia and is coming off an 11-3 season which set a school record for wins. He also received praise for navigating his first Virginia team through a mass shooting tragedy that claimed the lives of four of his players.