South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer has a theory on why Tennessee Vols fans don’t like him
Long before Shane Beamer was the head coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks, he was a graduate assistant with the Tennessee Vols. Beamer, who earned his master’s degree from Tennessee, was a graduate assistant on Rocky Top under Phillip Fulmer from 2001 to 2003. Those three seasons with the Vols, however, didn’t earn Beamer much […]
Long before Shane Beamer was the head coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks, he was a graduate assistant with the Tennessee Vols.
Beamer, who earned his master’s degree from Tennessee, was a graduate assistant on Rocky Top under Phillip Fulmer from 2001 to 2003.
Those three seasons with the Vols, however, didn’t earn Beamer much equity with Tennessee fans.
Beamer often seems to draw the ire of Vols fans — even though he’s only 1-2 against Tennessee since taking over as the Gamecocks’ head coach. It’s safe to say that he’s not a popular guy in East Tennessee.
South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer has a theory on why Tennessee Vols fans don’t like him
Beamer appeared on the I Am Athlete podcast last week, and he shared his theory on why Vols fans don’t seem to like him.
The fifth-year South Carolina head coach thinks the dislike goes back to the Gamecocks’ upset win over Tennessee in 2022 (that game kept the Vols out of the College Football Playoff).
“Most fan bases probably don’t like me,” said Beamer. “I mean, that’s just natural….I think there’s a handful, from talking to Tennessee buddies, of Tennessee people that don’t like me because of, you know, the 2022 game.”
I can’t speak for all Tennessee fans, but that 2022 game definitely seems to be where the disdain for Beamer among Vols fans really kicked up a notch.
Of course, it probably doesn’t help that there’s speculation that Beamer and the Gamecocks had some inside information from Michigan’s Connor Stalions that helped South Carolina earn the win in Columbia that night.
The Vols, though, got their revenge in 2023 via a 41-20 win in Neyland Stadium.
As for Beamer and his relationship with Vols fans, he might be the only Tennessee graduate who gets routinely booed by UT fans.
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