COLUMBIA, S.C. — When Shane Beamer took over as South Carolina's head football coach, he made it clear he wanted Connor Shaw to be involved in the program.
On Tuesday, Shaw's duties became defined as he has been named Director of Football Relations. With these new and expanded responsibilities, Shaw's official duties will see him assume more of a football/recruiting emphasis within the NCAA rules, as well as serving as a liaison with former Gamecock players.
In addition, Shaw will continue in his role with player relations, working closely with Derrick Moore who was recently named Executive Director of Character and Player Development.
The winningest quarterback in school history, Shaw returned to the program in January of 2020 as Director of Player Development. In that role, he focused on the student-athlete's career development, mental health, financial literacy and life skills, while leading the "Beyond Football" program.
Beamer also made two additional hires in his support staff. Taylor Edwards has been named Director of Player Personnel. He comes to Carolina after serving as the Director of Recruiting Operations at Maryland for the past two seasons where he worked with head coach Mike Locksley. Edwards has been instrumental in helping the Terrapins recruit the 31st-ranked class in 2020, and a top-20 recruiting class in 2021.
Drew Hixson has been named Assistant Director of Player Personnel and will work with Edwards. Hixson comes to Carolina from the University of Kansas. He joined the KU football staff in February 2019 as the director of scouting, where he was responsible for identifying and evaluating prospects. He also assisted the recruiting staff in all aspects, including unofficial and official visits.
Prior to his arrival in Lawrence, Hixson spent the 2018 season at Virginia working in the football department, assisting with the program's recruiting efforts and activities.
