South Carolina football head coach Shane Beamer introduced three of his seven new assistant coaches during a press conference on Monday.
Beamer highlighted tight ends coach Erik Kimrey, offensive line coach Will Friend and associate head coach and special teams coordinator Pete Lembo.
Additionally, Beamer said he decided to retain offensive coordinator Mike Bobo because he is “a heck of an offensive coordinator" and has proven his ability to "coordinate successful offenses in the SEC."
Beamer said he would have tried to hire Bobo even if he were not already at Carolina.
Kimrey is a Gamecock football alum who has been a head coach at Columbia's K-12 Hammond School for 17 years. Beamer said Kimrey "will certainly help Carolina as well, on and off the field.”
Kimrey said coaching at South Carolina is one of his dreams, and he would not have taken a job at any other college. He said he plans on using his experience teaching a philosophy class for over ten years as part of his coaching technique.
Friend is coming from the University of Tennessee, where he spent three years as the offensive line coach. Prior to that, he worked with Bobo at Colorado State University and the University of Georgia.
"It's refreshing to come in and not only know what you're walking into and what is expected, but also believe in it," Friend said about coaching with Bobo again.
Friend said he is looking forward to starting fresh with the offensive line and giving his players a chance to prove what they can do.
Lembo is a 25-year coaching veteran who said South Carolina's special teams "will reflect the overall culture of the program." Getting to know players and building a "relationship with every person on the roster" is what Lembo finds to be the most rewarding aspect of coaching.
"You can't develop each player if you don't connect with them first," Lembo said.
On the field, Lembo is looking to make more explosive plays on special teams, especially with punting and returning the ball.
Beamer said it was important to him to hire coaches with head coaching experience, such as Bobo, Lembo and Kimrey, as resources to rely on while he prepares for his first year as a head coach.