South-Carolina
More changes to South Carolina 2026 staff, latest from Shane Beamer
Shane Beamer is returning for his sixth season as coach of South Carolina football but the pieces around him will look different in 2026.
Less than a month after hiring three new offensive coaches, the Gamecocks have hired Deion Barnes from Penn State as its new defensive ends/outside linebackers coach and internally promoted Torrian Gray to co-defensive coordinator.
Both moves were approved by South Carolina’s board of trustees on Dec. 26. Gray, who was hired as defensive backs coach in 2021, will now make $1 million annually. Barnes’ contract is for two years, earning $675,000 through December 2026 and $775,000 in 2027.
South Carolina hires Deion Barnes from Penn State
On Dec. 22, it was officially announced by LSU that Sterling Lucas would join new coach Lane Kiffin as defensive line coach.
Lucas spent five seasons as the defensive ends/outside linebackers coach, recruiting five-stars like Dylan Stewart, Nyck Harbor and transfer star Kyle Kennard, who won the 2024 Bronko Nagurski Trophy.
On Dec. 23, South Carolina announced Barnes’ hire.
Barnes, 32, spent the past three seasons as defensive line coach on James Franklin’s staff at Penn State. Franklin was fired midseason and is now the coach of Virginia Tech.
In total, Barnes has been at Penn State for six seasons, working as a graduate assistant for three seasons before his first official coaching job. He is from Philadelphia and played at Penn State from 2012-14 and earned Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2012.
Beamer had already hired Stan Drayton from Penn State to coach running backs.
Penn State is facing Clemson in the Pinstripe Bowl in Yankee Stadium on Dec. 27, and Drayton confirmed Dec. 12 that he will coach the Nittany Lions one last time before fully transition to his new role in Columbia.
Shane Beamer promotes Torrian Gray to co-defensive coordinator
Gray will now be co-defensive coordinator with Clayton White, who just completed his fifth season.
Gray has coached the secondary for nearly 30 years.
Not long after the news was announced, former player Brandon Cisse gave Gray a glowing review on X, writing “If you’re a DB considering SC and want to be developed there’s no better coach in the country than @togray14 !”
Cisse spent just one season with the Gamecocks in 2025 after transferring from NC State. He declared for the 2026 NFL Draft on Dec. 11.
Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at lkesin@gannett.com. Follow her on X@Lulukesin and Bluesky@bylulukesin.bsky.social
An 87-year-old businessman in Columbia, South Carolina says he has no plans to retire.
Leonard Fabrizio works as a retailer at Brittons of Columbia, a locally-owned men’s clothing store.
“I’m not the type of person who can sit around by myself,” said Fabrizio. “I just enjoy the interaction and that’s the big thing, is the interaction with people. It’s always been the drive in this business for me, said Fabrizio.
Fabrizio’s retail career began as a college student when he worked at J.C. Penney. He has watched Columbia grow and has owned a store and managed several others.
His advice is to “Be patient. It takes time to build a business. It doesn’t happen overnight, but it’s rewarding. It’s fun. But you have to have compassion for the business.”
Fabrizio recently celebrated another birthday alongside those who have supported his career.
(WPDE) — June 9 marked International Batten Disease Awareness Day, shining a light on a rare, inherited neurodegenerative disorder.
It primarily affects children and causes harmful waste material to build up inside the cells of the brain and nervous system.
One South Carolina family used the day to raise awareness as their 2-year-old son, Sam Stockton, lives with CLN2 Batten disease.
Sam was diagnosed at 16 weeks old, and his family says they travel every other week for enzyme-replacement therapy while also searching for clinical research opportunities.
Through Hope for Sam, the family is working to spread information about Batten disease and support other families facing rare diseases.
“Just the more you know about rare diseases, I never knew that over 300 million people worldwide live with rare diseases. And that means there’s less access to care because people aren’t researching it and not as many people have it. So the more information that’s out there, we feel is the better,” Jordan Stockton said.
There are 13 known types of Batten disease, and there is no cure. Researchers estimate the disease affects about two to four out of every 100,000 births in the United States.
The Stockton family says they have found support through the Batten Disease Support, Research and Advocacy Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to helping families navigate the disease while providing resources.
More information and donation details are available at this link.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WACH) — Contestants in the 2026 Miss South Carolina and Miss South Carolina’s Teen competitions will showcase their talents on Thursday at the Township Auditorium.
Miss South Carolina’s Teen’s Got Talent is set to begin at 5 p.m., followed by Miss South Carolina’s Got Talent at 7 p.m.
READ MORE | Miss South Carolina kicks off with preliminary rounds
The talent competitions are part of the weeklong Miss South Carolina Scholarship Organization competition, which brings delegates from across the state to Columbia to compete for scholarships and the opportunity to represent South Carolina on the national stage.
READ MORE | Miss South Carolina’s Teen preliminary round begins
Contestants competed in fitness, evening wear, and onstage question preliminaries on Wednesday, while Miss South Carolina’s Teen contestants completed their preliminary competition on Tuesday.
Preliminary winners include:
Preliminary Fitness Award winners:
- Jenna Huggins, Miss Clemson
- Lindsay Jones, Miss Charleston
- Reagan McMahon, Miss Chapin
Preliminary Evening Gown Award winners:
- Mary Kimball Osborn, Miss Palmetto
- Chelby Drafts, Miss Golden Corner
- Reagan McMahon, Miss Chapin
Teen Preliminary Fitness Award winners:
- Alissa Claire Rhodes, Miss Fox Creek High School’s Teen
- Kamryn Mathis, Miss Greer High School’s Teen
- Logan Wells, Miss Palmetto’s Teen
Teen Preliminary Evening Gown Award winners:
- Logan Wells, Miss Palmetto’s Teen
- Cleo Floyd-Johnstone, Miss Ballentine’s Teen
- Kursten Long, Miss Newberry’s Teen
The Miss South Carolina’s Teen finals are set for Friday night, while the Miss South Carolina finals will take place Saturday.
Watch the 2026 Miss South Carolina Competition LIVE at 8:00 PM on Saturday, June 20. Tune in on WACH FOX 57 in Columbia, ABC 4 in Charleston, ABC 15 in Myrtle Beach/Florence, and My40 in the Upstate.
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