On Dec. 5, it all came full circle for Shame Beamer.
The move was sudden, but not surprising. Beamer had previously spent four seasons in Columbia, South Carolina, as an assistant coach under Steve Spurrier. Ten years after departing that position, it was time for Beamer to return to the school that sits less than two hours from his hometown of Charleston.
It’s no doubt a bittersweet goodbye, both for Beamer and for the Oklahoma coaching staff which he has helped to anchor for the last three years. But it was understood from the time he arrived in Norman that it was more of a stepping stone than a true long-term commitment.
Beamer was brought on under the title of assistant head coach for this exact purpose. He had already picked up crucial experience as a position coach under a pair of all-time greats, but his opportunity in Norman was something quite different: work directly under one of college football’s finest offensive minds and gain a more top-down perspective of coaching.
One thing’s certain: it worked. After less than three full seasons under Lincoln Riley’s tutelage, Beamer was deemed ready to take the next step in his coaching career, and at one of his top-choice schools no less.
Some would call it lucky timing. They would be wrong. In reality, Beamer’s story is not one defined by luck, but by unmatched legacy, unparalleled recruiting prowess and one unprecedented signing class that he’s leaving behind.