South-Carolina

More changes to South Carolina 2026 staff, latest from Shane Beamer

Published

2 months ago

December 27, 2025

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

Source link

Click to comment

South-Carolina

Tessa Johnson injury update for Dawn Staley, South Carolina vs Kentucky

Published

10 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Tessa Johnson injury update for Dawn Staley, South Carolina vs Kentucky

South Carolina women’s basketball starting guard Tessa Johnson was not listed on the injury report Feb. 28 for the Gamecocks’ final regular-season game at Kentucky.

Johnson was practicing on Feb. 27 after missing the 112-71 win over Missouri, but coach Dawn Staley wouldn’t confirm her status for the next game.

No. 3 South Carolina (28-2, 14-1) travels to play No. 18 Kentucky (21-8, 8-7 SEC) on March 1 (2 p.m. ET, SEC Network) to close the regular season.

South Carolina called it an “upper body contusion” on social media not long after she was listed as out on the SEC injury report that published an hour before tipoff vs Missouri.

Staley joked that media would post on social media that Johnson was practicing with the starters, setting the tone that she isn’t hiding the latest on Johnson’s health.

Johnson is a junior guard averaging 13.1 points and 3.5 rebounds. She leads the SEC in 3-point shooting at 45.5%, which is also eighth in the nation.

Johnson struggled in her two most recent games. She went combined 2-of-13 for six points against Alabama and Ole Miss, just after going 8-of-13 for 21 points against LSU.

Staley said sophomore reserve post/center Adhel Tac is day to day dealing with a lower leg injury. Tac hasn’t played since Feb. 5. She’s still using a medical scooter to move around and has been sitting out practices. She was listed as out again vs Kentucky.

Tessa Johnson injury update, status for Kentucky

The Wildcats have talented guards who can score and defend, in addition to post players like 6-foot-5 center Clara Strack, who averages 16.4 points and 10.2 rebounds. Tonie Morgan scores 14.4 points and dishes a nation-high 8.3 assists a game.

Johnson is third in the nation in 3-point shooting at 45.5%. By posing a threat behind the arc, players like Joyce Edwards and Madina Okot get more action in the paint.

Raven Johnson hit a career-high four 3-pointers against Missouri and Maddy McDaniel drained two, but there’s no denying how much Johnson elevates the offense.

Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at LKesin@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X@Lulukesin and Bluesky‪@bylulukesin.bsky.social‬

Source link

South-Carolina

Men’s Golf Visits South Carolina for Colleton River Collegiate

Published

22 hours ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

Men’s Golf Visits South Carolina for Colleton River Collegiate

BLUFFTON, S.C. – Kentucky men’s golf begins the month of March at the Colleton River Collegiate this Sunday and Monday at Colleton River Club (par 72, 7403 yards).

UK joins a 15-team field for the 54-hole event, which will consist of 36 holes of continuous play on Sunday, followed by 18 holes on Monday. An 8 a.m. shotgun start will kick things off on Sunday, while Monday’s final round will begin with another shotgun start, this time at 7:45 a.m.

UK is paired with Indiana, Kansas State and Ohio State for the first day of play.

The Wildcats will utilize the same starting five, albeit in a different order, as was featured at the Watersound Invitational just two weeks ago. There, the Cats finished seventh in a loaded field and found themselves as high as third place during the final nine holes.

Sophomore Jacob Settles had the best showing of his collegiate career, finishing tied for seventh at 5-under par, while senior captain Jack Schoenberger had his highest finish of the season, placing tied for 14th at 2-under.

Jacob Lang, Luke Coyle and Cole Stockard will complete UK’s starting five alongside Settles and Schoenberger, the fourth time in six events the Wildcats have featured this starting unit.

Freshman Cameron Phillips will tee it up as an individual once again after an impressive showing in the same role at the Watersound where he tied for 29th and had two rounds under par.

Fans can follow along with live scoring on the Scoreboard Powered by Clippd website.

Kentucky Lineup:

Jack Schoenberger: Senior, Alpharetta, Ga
Jacob Lang: Sophomore, Alvaton, Ky.
Jacob Settles: Sophomore, Winchester, Ky
Luke Coyle: Junior, Campbellsville, Ky.
Cole Stockard: Freshman, Dalton, Ga.
Ind. Cameron Phillips: Freshman, Portsmouth, Ohio

Competing Schools (15): Chattanooga, Cincinnati, ETSU, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas State, Kentucky, Memphis, Michigan State, Minnesota, Missouri, Northwestern, Ohio State, Rutgers

For the latest on UK Men’s Golf follow the Wildcats on X and Instagram @UKmensgolf, and online at ukathletics.com.

Source link

South-Carolina

Biden visits Columbia, thanks SC Democrats for 2020 primary support

Published

1 day ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

Biden visits Columbia, thanks SC Democrats for 2020 primary support

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) – Former President Joe Biden spoke Friday at the Columbia Art Museum in downtown Columbia at an event hosted by the South Carolina Democratic Party to honor his more than 50 years with the party and to mark his 2020 South Carolina Democratic primary victory.

Biden entered the South Carolina primary having lost Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada. His win in the state gave his campaign momentum heading into the rest of the primary calendar.

“People in this room brought my campaign back from the brink — a lot of pundits, people in the press had given up on me,” Biden said.

Biden said South Carolina’s support was central to his path to the presidency.

“If I could just get to South Carolina I could win the nomination, and I knew if I won the nomination I’d win the presidency because I knew what Bill Clinton and Barack Obama knew before me — South Carolina picks presidents,” Biden said.

South Carolina Democratic Party Chair Christale Spain said Biden’s performance in the state went beyond a primary win.

“Biden didn’t just win, he delivered,” Spain said.

Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., whose endorsement of Biden ahead of the 2020 primary was a key moment in the campaign, attended the event. Clyburn praised Biden’s record of public service.

“There is no American ever who has demonstrated through his service more substance — and I might add sustenance — than Joseph Robinette Biden,” Clyburn said.

Biden also directed remarks at the current Trump administration and called on Democrats to turn out for November’s midterm elections to help flip the House or Senate.

“There’s no time to give up — it’s time to get up, get up, get up, continue to fight,” Biden said.

Feel more informed, prepared, and connected with WIS. For more free content like this, subscribe to our email newsletter, and download our apps. Have feedback that can help us improve? Click here.

Source link