Mississippi State announced earlier this week that they were parting ways with head coach Zach Arnett, and subsequently there have been several names floated around the Bulldogs' head coaching vacancy.
One that has been brought up in some circles has been South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer, who is currently in his third season with the Gamecocks. The connection to the Bulldogs isn't random. Beamer coached for Mississippi State under Sylvester Croom and met his wife in Starkville. He is also close friends with Mississippi State athletic direct Zac Selmon, whom he worked with at Oklahoma.
While some pointed out that Beamer may be an ideal candidate for the job, Beamer himself was quick to shoot down any rumor connecting his name to the Bulldogs.
“I understand the connection,” Beamer told reporters in a press conference on Tuesday. “Wife is from Starkville, Mississippi State grad, I spent three years there. Not to mention that Zac, their athletic director, is one of my best friends in the entire world. In fact, the night before I interviewed for this job, we spent Thanksgiving with he and his family. He and I talk regularly and got a ton of respect for him and he’s doing an awesome job in Starkville."
“But no, this is where I want to be. Love Columbia and want to be here for a long time. I said when I got hired, this was my dream job and still feel that way. In my mind, we’re just getting started here.”
Based on his words alone, it's pretty clear that Bulldog fans shouldn't expect to him to be hired unless something drastic happens. However, he's also in danger of having his first losing season at South Carolina. With two games remaining, against Kentucky and Clemson, the Gamecocks are 4-6, 2-5 in league play.
Arnett was fired after posting a 4-6 record, which included a 37-30 loss at South Carolina on Sept. 23. Following his dismissal, Selmon told reporters not to believe what they hear about the team's coaching search unless it came directly from him.
There is no timeline for when a new coach will be named to lead the Bulldogs, but it is clear that the search will be on a national scale.
More must-reads: