The South Carolina Board of Trustees Governance Committee has a called teleconference set for Thursday morning at 9:00 AM to approve new athletic department personnel contracts. Gamecock head coach Shane Beamer is hiring Kendal Briles as his new offensive coordinator, Stan Drayton as his new running backs coach and Randy Clements as his new offensive line coach.
The hiring of Briles has been known since the weekend. SportsTalk first reported on Briles as a serious possibility to be the Gamecocks’ new OC on November 26th, and the reporting advanced from there.
JC Shurburtt of TheBigSpur reported Tuesday morning that Drayton was the target for the running backs position, and that hiring was confirmed Wednesday morning by Matt Zenitz of CBSSports.com. Drayton was the running backs coach Penn State this season, and is a veterans of numerous coaching stops. He also spent three seasons as the head coach at Temple.
Zenitz also reported the news first Wednesday morning that Clements would be coming with Briles from TCU where he was an assistant offensive line coach this season.
The remainder of the offensive staff remains intact, for now. Of course, it is possible the coaches could leave or Beamer and Briles decide to make other change.
Shawn Elliott, who was moved from tight ends to offensive line after Lonnie Teasley was fired, could move back to his old spot. And Mike Furrey, who took over as the play caller after Mike Shula was fired, remains as the receivers coach.
Stan Drayton Bio from Penn State
Drayton, a native of Cleveland, Ohio, joins the Nittany Lions after spending three seasons as the head coach at Temple. He is a 32-year coaching veteran with 25 years of experience coaching running backs. Drayton has been a part of two national championship coaching staffs and brings five years of NFL coaching experience.
During his coaching career, Drayton has tutored prominent running backs, including Brian Westbrook, Jerious Norwood, Carlos Hyde, Ezekiel Elliott, Bijan Robinson, Matt Forte and Jordan Howard. He has coached seven 1,000-yard rushers, five NFL Draft picks and two All-Americans.
Coaching Accomplishments
- Prior to Temple, Drayton was the associate head coach, running backs coach and run game coordinator at Texas for five seasons under Tom Herman (2017-20) and Steve Sarkisian (2021).
- In his five seasons with the Longhorns, Drayton guided the development of a trio of backs who made significant impacts in Bijan Robinson, Roschon Johnson and Keaontay Ingram.
- During the 2021 season, Robinson finished third in the Big 12 in rushing (112.7 yards per game; 8th nationally) and earned first-team All-Big 12 honors.
- Robinson had a breakout year in 2020, tallying 703 rushing yards on just 86 carries to break the school’s single-season yards per carry average record at 8.2 ypg.
- During the 2019 season at UT, Drayton was influential in the growth of Ingram, who totaled 1,095 yards from scrimmage (853 rushing, 242 receiving).
- Drayton also oversaw Johnson’s seamless transition from quarterback to running back as a true freshman, a move that took place just one week prior to the season opener. Johnson racked up 807 all-purpose yards (649 rushing, 158 receiving) on 146 touches.
- In 2018, Drayton mentored two newcomers in Ingram and graduate transfer Tre Watson. The duo combined for 1,494 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the ground, while adding 313 yards receiving with five more touchdowns.
- Prior to Texas, Drayton served as running backs coach for the Chicago Bears from 2015-16, where he led rooms consisting of Jordan Howard, Matt Forte and Jeremy Lanford.
- In 2016 under Drayton, Howard set the Bears single-season rookie rushing record with 1,313 yards, breaking the previous mark held by Matt Forte despite only having 12 carries in the team’s first three games.
- Howard’s 1,313 yards were the second-best rushing total of any player in the NFL regular season, trailing only Elliott (1,631), who was coached by Drayton at Ohio State.
- In 2015, the Bears rushing offense was 11th in the NFL averaging 115.9 yards per game, a 16-spot improvement from their ranking of 27th (90.1 ypg) a year prior to his arrival. Drayton helped Langford, a fourth-round draft pick, finish fifth among all NFL rookies with seven touchdowns and ninth among rookies with 816 yards from scrimmage.
- Before joining the Bears, Drayton coached at Ohio State where he won the 2014 National Championship. He joined OSU as a wide receivers coach in 2011, before leading the running backs for the next three seasons.
- During the National Championship season in 2014, Drayton tutored Elliott, who as a sophomore, finished third in the nation and second in single-season school history with 1,878 rushing yards.
- Elliott capped the 2014 season with three-straight 200-yard rushing games (tied for the most in single-season school history with Eddie George in 1995). He was named College Football Playoff National Championship Offensive MVP with 246 rushing yards (tied for third most in single-game school history) and four touchdowns on 36 carries against Oregon. Elliott was also named Offensive MVP of the Sugar Bowl (230 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries) versus Alabama in the semifinals.
- In 2013, Drayton helped senior running back Carlos Hyde finish eighth in the nation in rushing, averaging 126.8 yards per game (1,521 yards and 15 touchdowns on 208 carries in 12 contests).
- Hyde was named the Big Ten’s Ameche-Dayne Running Back of the Year as his 1,521 rushing yards were eighth-most in school history and his 7.3 yards per carry was the highest single-season average in school history.
- In his first season as Ohio State’s running backs coach in 2012, Drayton guided the Buckeyes running backs to 1,536 yards, 21 touchdowns and an average of 5.4 yards per carry during the team’s 12-0 campaign.
- Prior to his time with the Buckeyes, Drayton spent the 2010 season as the running backs coach and recruiting coordinator at Florida for his second stint with the Gators, while also making stops at Syracuse (2009) and Tennessee (2008).
- In 2006 during his first stint with the Gators, Florida won the BCS National Championship as the Gators averaged 160 rushing yards per game.
- At Mississippi State, Drayton helped guide Jerious Norwood to a 1,000-yard rushing season in 2004 before he went on be chosen in the third round of the 2006 draft by the Atlanta Falcons.
- Before Mississippi State, Drayton coached running backs at Bowling Green (2000), Villanova (1996-2000), Pennsylvania (1995) and his alma mater Allegheny College (1993).
- Drayton also had stints with Green Bay Packers as an offensive quality control and special teams assistant (2001-03) and Eastern Michigan as a graduate assistant (1994).
- Another prominent pupil at Villanova was Westbrook, a two-time All-American who became the first collegiate player on any level to record more than 1,000 yards both rushing and receiving in the same season, when he did so in 1998.
- Westbrook, a College Football Hall of Famer and winner of the 2001 Walter Payton Award as the Offensive Player of the Year in NCAA Division I-AA, was a third-round pick by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2002 NFL Draft.
Accomplishments as a Player
- A three-time first-team All-America selection as a running back at Allegheny College, Drayton is second in the school’s record book for rushing (3,272 yards), rushing touchdowns (54) and scoring (336 points), and was a part of the 1990 Division III National Championship team.
- He was also a two-time All-American in track, competing in the 100- and 200-meter dashes.
- A 1993 graduate with a bachelor’s degree in English, Drayton was inducted into the Allegheny College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005.
The Drayton File
Personal
Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio
Education: Allegheny College, 1993 – B.A. English
Family: Wife: Monique; Daughters: Amari, Anaya
Coaching Career
2025 – Penn State (Running Backs)
2022-24 – Temple (Head Coach)
2017-21 – Texas (Assistant Head Coach/Running Backs/Run Game Coordinator)
2015-16 – Chicago Bears (Running Backs)
2012-14 – Ohio State (Running Backs)
2011 – Ohio State (Wide Receivers)
2010 – Florida (Running Backs)
2009 – Syracuse (Running Backs)
2008 – Tennessee (Running Backs)
2005-07 – Florida (Running Backs)
2004 – Mississippi State (Running Backs)
2001-03 – Green Bay Packers (Offensive Quality Control/Special Teams)
2000 – Bowling Green (Running Backs)
1996-99 – Villanova (Running Backs)
1995 – Penn (Running Backs)
1994 – Eastern Michigan (Graduate Assistant)
1993 – Allegheny (Running Backs)
Playing Experience
- Allegheny College (1989-92)
Randy Clements bio from North Carolina (NA on the TCU website)
Randy Clements joined the Carolina football program in December of 2022 as the offensive line coach. A 36-year coaching veteran, Clements is a renowned offensive line coach, who has spent 21 seasons mentoring the position group at the collegiate level.
Clements has a track record of being one of the top offensive line coaches in the country. From 2010-20, he was part of nine offenses that ranked among the top 13 in the country including three straight No. 1-ranked units from 2013-15 at Baylor. He came to Carolina after spending the previous two years at North Texas.
In his first season at UNC, Clements mentored an offensive line that led the way for one of the nation’s most dynamic offensive attacks. The Heels racked up 491.2 total yards per game, which ranked seventh nationally and first in the ACC, and 192.1 rushing yards per game, which was good for 19th nationally and third in the league. Clements mentored three Tar Heels who earned All-ACC recognition in Corey Gaynor, Willie Lampkin and Spencer Rolland.
During the 2022 season, Clements’ unit was one of the toughest in the country, running a scheme similar to the UNC attack. The Mean Green offensive line paved the way for 201.7 rushing yards per game, which ranked 24th nationally and second in Conference USA. The group ranked ninth nationally in both sacks and tackles-for-loss allowed, giving up just 11 sacks all season and four TFL per game. As a result, UNT averaged 33.9 points per game and 453.8 yards per game, which ranked 29th and 20th nationally, respectively.
In Clements’ first season with UNT, he worked as a volunteer coach with the offensive line. That unit helped the Mean Green rush for 233.5 yards per game, which ranked fifth nationally and first in the conference. The group also finished the year ranked 10th nationally in sacks allowed and 21st in tackles-for-loss allowed.
In 2020, Clements served as the run game coordinator and offensive line coach at Ole Miss. While in Oxford, the Rebels paced the SEC in total offense (555.5 ypg) and broke the conference record for total offense in conference play (562.4 ypg). Clements’ unit paved the way for Ole Miss to score 39.2 points per game, which ranked 14th nationally, and run for 210.6 yards per game, which ranked 26th nationally and first in the SEC.
Clements spent one year as the offensive line coach at Florida St. in 2019 and one year at Houston in 2018. During the ’18 season in Houston, the Cougars averaged 43.9 points per game, ranking fifth in the nation, and 512.3 yards of total offense, the seventh-highest total in the FBS. Clements unit blocked for 217.1 rushing yards per game, which ranked 24th nationally. He spent 2017 at NAIA Southeastern University leading the offensive line as the unit scored 55.1 ppg and averaged 557.4 ypg.
A native of Wichita Falls, Texas, Clements served as offensive line coach at Baylor from 2008-16, holding the co-offensive coordinator title from 2008-11 and serving as run game coordinator from 2012-16. He produced the Big 12’s Offensive Lineman of the Year four straight seasons from 2012-15 and mentored eight NFL Draft picks, including No. 2 overall pick Jason Smith in 2009 and first-round pick Danny Watkins in 2011.
Clements helped elevate the Baylor program to historic heights, including back-to-back Big 12 championships, behind a record-setting offense. While with the Bears, he coached linemen who earned a combined 13 All-Big 12 accolades and six All-America recognitions, including three unanimous selections.
The Bears led the nation in both total offense and scoring for three consecutive years from 2013-15, becoming only the second team in FBS history to accomplish that feat and the first since BYU from 1979-81.
Prior to Baylor, Clements spent five seasons at Houston from 2003-07. The UH offense was consistently ranked as one of the nation’s most prolific. The Cougars ranked No. 4 nationally in total offense (513.2) in 2007, boasted the country’s No. 6 offense (446.1 ypg) in 2006 en route to a Conference USA title. The 2004 offense finished the year No. 12 (458.3 ypg) in FBS.
Clements went to Houston after 12 highly successful seasons at Stephenville (Texas) High School, where he served as offensive coordinator, offensive line coach and head power lifting coach.
As a player, Clements earned all-conference honors at Tyler Junior College before transferring to Stephen F. Austin. While there, he played on the Lumberjacks’ 1988 team which went 10-2 and reached the I-AA quarterfinals. He began his coaching career at SFA as a student assistant (1986-87) and then later received his bachelor’s degree in education from SFA in 1989.
He and his wife, Polly, have two children, Jordan and Jayson.
The Clements File
Personal
Birthdate: Sept. 10, 1966
Hometown: Wichita Falls, Texas
Wife: Polly
Children: Jordan and Jayson
Education
College: Stephen F. Austin ‘89
Clements Coaching History
| 2023-present | North Carolina | Offensive Line |
| 2022 | North Texas | Offensive Line |
| 2021 | North Texas | Volunteer |
| 2020 | Ole Miss | Run Game Coordinator/Offensive Line |
| 2019 | Florida St. | Offensive Line |
| 2018 | Houston | Run Game Coordinator/Offensive Line |
| 2017 | Southeastern University | Offensive Line |
| 2012-16 | Baylor | Run Game Coordinator/Offensive Line |
| 2008-11 | Baylor | Co-Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line |
| 2003-07 | Houston | Offensive Line |
| 2000-02 | Stephenville HS | Offensive Coordinator |
| 1991-02 | Stephenville HS | Head Powerlifting Coach |
| 1990-99 | Stephenville HS | Offensive Line |
| 1986-87 | Stephen F. Austin | Offensive Line |
Postseason Experience As a Coach
| 2023 | North Carolina | Duke’s Mayo Bowl |
| 2022 | North Texas | Frisco Bowl |
| 2021 | North Texas | Frisco Bowl |
| 2020 | Ole Miss | Outback Bowl |
| 2019 | Florida St. | Sun Bowl |
| 2018 | Houston | Armed Forces Bowl |
| 2017 | Southeastern | NAIA Playoffs |
| 2016 | Baylor | Cactus Bowl |
| 2015 | Baylor | Russell Athletic Bowl |
| 2014 | Baylor | Cotton Bowl |
| 2013 | Baylor | Fiesta Bowl |
| 2012 | Baylor | Holiday Bowl |
| 2011 | Baylor | Alamo Bowl |
| 2010 | Baylor | Texas Bowl |
| 2007 | Houston | Texas Bowl |
| 2006 | Houston | Liberty Bowl |
| 2005 | Houston | Fort Worth Bowl |
| 2003 | Houston | Hawaii Bowl |
Postseason Experience As a Player
| 1988 | Stephen F. Austin | I-AA Quarterfinals |