Tight end coach Erik Kimrey and director of football operations Connor Shaw will be stepping away from South Carolina's football program, according to Shane Beamer during a press conference Wednesday.
The confirmation comes after GamecockCentral.com reported Wednesday morning that Kimrey and Shaw were both stepping away from the program.
Beamer said Kimrey and Shaw are leaving the program on "fantastic" terms.
Shaw — the winningest quarterback in the history of Gamecock football — returned to the program in January 2020. He was hired by then head coach Will Muschamp and served as the director of player development.
After Muschamp's firing, Shaw served as the quarterbacks coach under interim head coach Mike Bobo. Shaw was retained by Beamer and was named director of football operations on Feb. 2, 2021.
Beamer didn't clarify where Shaw was going next but said it would not be in football.
"Connor's brilliant and will be successful in anything that he wants to do," Beamer said. "This is an opportunity for him. It's a new challenge outside the athletics world that was something he was in a little bit before he came to work here at Carolina."
Kimrey, like Shaw, is also a former Gamecock quarterback and will leave the team after his first season as a coach at the collegiate level. Prior to this season, Kimrey spent 17 seasons at the high school level, leading Hammond School in Columbia, South Carolina to 12 state titles.
Beamer didn't clarify where Kimrey's next stop is, leaving that to Kimrey to do himself, but said he's excited for his future.
"Erik and I had been talking about this potential opportunity for the last two-and-a-half weeks that he had, and I know that wasn't an easy decision for him," Beamer said. "He loves this place, but what a great opportunity for he and his family and excited for him, thankful for him and the impact he made on our program in year one. I know how much he loves Columbia. I know how much he loves the University of South Carolina."
South Carolina is scheduled to begin spring practice on March 15. Beamer said his priority will be hiring someone as fast as possible to get the new coach caught up.
“Somebody that fits what this program's about, the culture that we have here," Beamer said. "Great recruiter, great person and great coach. Somebody that can continue to add to the foundation that Erik laid with the tight ends this year.”
Lawson Murrell contributed to the reporting of this story.