M
Mike Uva
Guest
Does the name Brian VanGorder ring a bell? You know, the defensive coordinator South Carolina hired in December 2007 that worked in Columbia for a whooping one month before bolting for a position on staff with the Atlanta Falcons? Well, Shane Beamer does, and apparently the Gamecocks newest defensive coach Sterling Lucas has ties to him as well.
“I think the only recruiting trip that coach VanGorder went on (during his time at South Carolina) was with me to go down to Orangeburg to see Sterling Lucas. Talk about things coming full-circle.”
On Friday, Beamer shed light on the process the Gamecocks took to fill the void left by outside linebackers and ends coach Mike Petterson leaving to return to his llama mater, Florida. He explained that they interviewed a handful of candidates including sitting coordinators as well as defensive coordinators in college football along with positional coaches in the SEC and NFL coaches. But once Beamer and White narrowed down what they were looking for, they interviewed three people in-person over the last week.
“At the end, we felt like Sterling gave us the best chance to continue to improve the production in that defensive end (and) outside linebacker room, to continue to improve the production of our defense, and to continue to recruit at an elite level.”
Just ten years removed from college, Lucas spent this past season as an assistant defensive line coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Prior to working with the Jags, he spent five seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, including the 2020 season as an assistant defensive line coach after spending time at his alma mater NC State as a grad assistant.
“The minute I called Clayton (White) to tell him that Mike (Peterson) was leaving we talked and probably about twenty minutes later I got a text message from Clayton about Sterling (Lucas),” said Beamer. “Sterling is somebody I knew (when he was) in high school. He went to NC State and had a great career there but he’s someone that I’ve stayed in touch with.”
As Wes Mitchell alluded to on Thursday on Gamecock Central, defensive analyst Joe Bowen was an unsung contributor to USC’s defensive staff and did a great job in his role with the linebackers. So with not only Lucas’ versatility but experience of playing linebacker, it’s a position that USC could move him to down the road if needed.
“There is a connection with (Lucas) and coach White going back to the NC State days; that certainly helped but that’s not the reason why he was hired. He was hired because he’s the best guy to give us a chance to elevate the performance of that guys in (his positional) room and the people on our defense. He’s eager to get to work so he can get up here and start recruiting tomorrow.”
“I think the only recruiting trip that coach VanGorder went on (during his time at South Carolina) was with me to go down to Orangeburg to see Sterling Lucas. Talk about things coming full-circle.”
On Friday, Beamer shed light on the process the Gamecocks took to fill the void left by outside linebackers and ends coach Mike Petterson leaving to return to his llama mater, Florida. He explained that they interviewed a handful of candidates including sitting coordinators as well as defensive coordinators in college football along with positional coaches in the SEC and NFL coaches. But once Beamer and White narrowed down what they were looking for, they interviewed three people in-person over the last week.
“At the end, we felt like Sterling gave us the best chance to continue to improve the production in that defensive end (and) outside linebacker room, to continue to improve the production of our defense, and to continue to recruit at an elite level.”
Just ten years removed from college, Lucas spent this past season as an assistant defensive line coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Prior to working with the Jags, he spent five seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, including the 2020 season as an assistant defensive line coach after spending time at his alma mater NC State as a grad assistant.
“The minute I called Clayton (White) to tell him that Mike (Peterson) was leaving we talked and probably about twenty minutes later I got a text message from Clayton about Sterling (Lucas),” said Beamer. “Sterling is somebody I knew (when he was) in high school. He went to NC State and had a great career there but he’s someone that I’ve stayed in touch with.”
As Wes Mitchell alluded to on Thursday on Gamecock Central, defensive analyst Joe Bowen was an unsung contributor to USC’s defensive staff and did a great job in his role with the linebackers. So with not only Lucas’ versatility but experience of playing linebacker, it’s a position that USC could move him to down the road if needed.
“There is a connection with (Lucas) and coach White going back to the NC State days; that certainly helped but that’s not the reason why he was hired. He was hired because he’s the best guy to give us a chance to elevate the performance of that guys in (his positional) room and the people on our defense. He’s eager to get to work so he can get up here and start recruiting tomorrow.”
