On Dec. 17 head coach Shane Beamer announced that senior offensive assistant coach Mike Shula would be taking over at offensive coordinator for Dowell Loggains.
The move followed the announcement of Loggains as the new head coach of Appalachian State. Loggains had been the Gamecocks offensive play caller for the past two seasons.
Shula is the son of the NFL’s all-time winningest head coach and Hall of Fame inductee, Don Shula. Shula saw success not only as a coach but also as a player playing college football at Alabama before being drafted in the 12th round of the 1987 draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers where he spent one year.
Shula began working for the Gamecocks as a senior offensive assistant coach in March 2024. Prior to coming to South Carolina, Shula worked multiple stints in the NFL, most notably being named Pro Football Focus Offensive Coordinator of the year in 2015 during his tenure with the Carolina Panthers. Shula was also the head coach at Alabama from 2003-06
Shula last worked as a senior offensive assistant for the Buffalo Bills during the 2022 and 2023 seasons before joining the Gamecocks. Shula was also an offensive coordinator for both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1996-99 and the New York Giants in 2018 and 2019.
Shula said he is personally excited to be back coaching college football for the first time since 2006. When reflecting on his time with Alabama, he said he could not change the past but that it is important to learn from it and build off the mistakes.
"Take the good, build on it, and learn from the things that weren't good," Shula said.
The Gamecocks will look to build off a season in which quarterback LaNorris Sellers won the Football Writers Association of America Offensive Freshman of the Year and received a third team all-SEC nod under Shula's direction.
Shula said that while Sellers has grown tremendously this season, he knows how much better Sellers can be.
“With experience that's just going to only make him more dangerous,” Shula said.
Seller’s ability to extend plays shows similarities to 2010 Heisman winning quarterback Cam Newton, Shula said. Shula worked with Newton during his time with the Carolina Panthers from 2011-2017.
While Sellers still has a long way to go, Shula's approach in developing Sellers is less about technique and more about the mentality behind being a quarterback.
Shula said this approach is more beneficial than simply trying to replicate Newton's ability as a runner.
“Three things, go to the right receiver with the ball, get the ball there on time and get the ball there accurately,” Shula said.
When talking about the entire offense, Shula said he plans to build on what Loggains accomplished, while adding his own flavor. Shula said the transition was very easy because he and Loggains share similar beliefs about the offense.
The team's motivation is very high after the success of last season, and with the right pieces the team can be even better going forward, Shula said.
“The most important things for the foundation of success are still there you know, the communication with your players, helping them be the best that they can be,"Shula said.
The culture of South Carolina football is built on communication, something that Beamer has helped change in his time as the Gamecocks head coach.
“In one of our first team meetings with Coach (Beamer) just watching him and learning is that you know that everyone knows what's expected and he's going to make it clear and he's not afraid to do that,”Shula said.
Regarding the new college football era with the rules regarding the transfer portal, Shula noted the importance of everyone being held accountable. Shula complimented the players coachability and how crucial being able to communicate is to winning games.
Shula also said that building on the foundation while being able to have hard conversations with players is how they can reach their potential.
Shula sees a difference between coaching in college and the NFL and working with younger guys has not only been exciting but refreshing to him. He said his goals for the 2025 season are to be as helpful as possible to the team and its success.
“Seeing that light go on for guys yes, and we're anticipating that light going on for more guys as we move forward," Shula said.
Looking forward to next season, Shula said the most important thing is doing his job. Shula said that it was his turn to step up when Coach Loggains left.
“Dial in on our own selves,” Shula said. “We know that with the guys that we have in this program, the players, the student athletes as well as the coaches that we got to make sure we do our job first and not worry about anybody else.”
What's Next?
The first opportunity to see Shula and the offense will be this April during the annual Garnet and Black Spring game.