Shane Beamer buyout: How much is South Carolina coach owed if fired?

Sixth-year coach Shane Beamer and South Carolina football are trending in the wrong direction after a 49-18 loss to No. 8 Alabama on Saturday, Sept. 26.

The Gamecocks were shredded through the air by Crimson Tide quarterback Keelon Russell, who completed 21-of-27 passes for 365 yards with five touchdowns (one rushing) on the night. Russell threw three touchdowns of 30 yards or longer in the game, as South Carolina’s secondary busted multiple coverages.

Alabama vs South Carolina live updates: Score, highlights for Week 4 game

The loss comes a week after South Carolina blew a 16-0 lead in its 41-34 loss to Mississippi State at home. The Gamecocks are also coming off a 4-8 season in 2025.

Beamer appeared to have South Carolina on an upward track after it finished 9-4 in 2024, a season that included ranked wins over Texas A&M, Missouri and Clemson.

Here’s a look at Beamer’s contract information and buyout if he were to be fired after the season:

Beamer would be owed approximately $22.55 million if he were to be fired on Dec. 1, 2026, according to a contract obtained by USA TODAY. His contract buyout calls for 65% of his remaining base salary and additional compensation to be paid in monthly installments through Dec. 31, 2030.

Beamer is making $8.25 million this year, $2.7 million of which comes from his base salary paired with $5.55 million in additional compensation. His contract calls for a $100,000 increase every year through 2030.

Here’s a year-by-year breakdown of his annual salary through the remainder of his current contract:

• 2026: $8,250,000
• 2027: $8,350,000
• 2028: $8,450,000
• 2029: $8,550,000
• 2030: $8,650,000

Following South Carolina’s loss to Alabama, Beamer’s record fell to 35-32. Here’s a look at his year-by-year record with the Gamecocks:

• 2021: 7-6 (3-5 SEC)
• 2022: 8-5 (4-4 SEC)
• 2023: 5-7 (3-5 SEC)
• 2024: 9-4 (5-3 SEC)
• 2025: 4-8 (1-7 SEC)
• 2026: 2-2 (0-2 SEC)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Shane Beamer buyout: How much is South Carolina coach owed if fired?