Sources: South Carolina has leading candidate, others in mix
Even with its school president in quarantine and recovering after a positive COVID-19 test, South Carolina is working to bring its football head coaching search to an end.
Multiple sources, including within the Gamecocks' athletics department this week, indicated the school's desire to wrap up its search, if possible, by Sunday. USC officials are mindful of timing, with 10 players verbally committed in the program's 2021 signing class and the early signing period set for a Dec. 16-18 opening.
The top trio of candidates remain Oklahoma assistant head coach Shane Beamer; Louisiana head coach Billy Napier; Louisville head coach Scott Satterfield.
Confirming other reports, sources confirmed to FootballScoop that Satterfield, the second-year Cardinals coach and a North Carolina native, spoke to Gamecocks officials on Friday night. Though Caslen has hopped onto interviews via Zoom due to COVID-19 protocols, USC officials were in Kentucky on Friday in advance of the Gamecocks' game today in Lexington against the Kentucky Wildcats.
Napier is scheduled today for his second meeting with Gamecocks officials, sources said.
Finally Beamer, who has pushed hard for the position and has had a strong group of powerful college football influencers who have backed his candidacy, already has spoken multiple times with South Carolina's hiring party, which includes Caslen, athletics director Ray Tanner and officials from search firm, Ventura Partners, per a source with direct knowledge.
Florida offensive coordinator Brian Johnson also got an interview, sources confirmed to FootballScoop. Johnson met face-to-face with Tanner and Caslen joined in via video, per sources.
The Gamecocks have targeted Sunday as the date they had hoped to conclude the search, in order to let their new coach begin assembling his staff as quickly as possible and for the recruiting ramifications noted above, as well as the traditional signing day on the first Wednesday in February.
Multiple sources on Saturday continued to indicate that Beamer has remained the leader; a different source with direct knowledge told FootballScoop that “my understanding is he (Satterfield) is not going anywhere.”
Separate sources told FootballScoop.com that Satterfield has engaged in preliminary talks with Louisville about a contract extension. Satterfield's original contract at Louisville was a six-year term with a very modest $5 million buyout through year's end. Sources said Satterfield, after an ACC Coach of the Year debut season in 2019 that included eight wins and a bowl berth, wanted to push back out that term and restructure financial parameters.
As always stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest coaching news.
Update: SI's Ross Dellenger confirmed our reporting that Napier and South Carolina met today. However, we continue to hear Beamer is the most likely candidate.
