COLUMBIA, S.C. — Shane Beamer is about to take part in his sixth Carolina-Clemson showdown.
After four years on the Steve Spurrier staff, Beamer had a new appreciation for the rivalry which he followed during his days growing up in Charleston when his dad was an assistant at The Citadel.
Beamer is gearing up for his second Carolina-Clemson game as a head coach. Dabo Swinney has been a part of 18 contests for Palmetto State bragging rights, including 13 as a head coach. Swinney is 8-5 against Carolina with the 2020 game cancelled due to the pandemic and the SEC playing a 10-game, conference only schedule.
Growing up in Alabama, Swinney was immersed in the Alabama-Auburn rivalry and had a chance to take part in the Iron Bowl as a player and an assistant coach.
Beamer saw his dad lead Virginia Tech into heated contests against Virginia and his time as a Hokie assistant allowed him a front row seat to the rivalry in the Commonwealth. His coaching career took him to Mississippi State, Georgia and Oklahoma, all three programs competing in various rivalries which generate national attention.
But being a head coach in the rivalry between the Gamecocks and Tigers has allowed him to follow in the footsteps of other Gamecock coaches who led their programs against the team in orange.