When South Carolina football head coach Shane Beamer hired Stan Drayton to join his staff as running backs coach and assistant head coach, it marked more than just another offseason coaching move. It reunited two coaches whose careers first intersected more than two decades ago in Starkville, Mississippi.
As Beamer heads into his sixth season with the Gamecocks, he has had several meaningful stops — some bigger roles than others, several different from each other. Beamer’s first full-time coaching position was at Mississippi State as a cornerbacks coach and recruiting coordinator.
Drayton was just coming off his NFL coaching debut with the Green Bay Packers when Sylvester Croom hired him as the running backs coach in 2004. Croom acted as the former Mississippi State head coach and the first African-American coach in the history of the Southeastern Conference.
The Bulldogs finished the season 3-8 and 2-6 in conference play, which landed them last in the SEC West Division.
Drayton has been coaching since 1993 at over a dozen schools and two NFL teams. He served as a running backs coach at several stops, wide receivers coach at Ohio State and even head coach at Temple.
Most recently, Drayton spent the 2025 season at Penn State as the running backs coach and remained with the program through its bowl game after a midseason coaching change.
Despite Penn State not meeting the high expectations as the No. 2 team coming into the season, senior running back Kaytron Allen rushed for 1,303 yards under Drayton, the 12th most in the nation.
Some other key running backs he has mentored are Los Angeles Chargers running back Ezekiel Elliott, Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson and former Chicago Bears running back Jordan Howard.
Although Drayton spent just one season in Starkville, he left a lasting effect on Beamer, leading him to be brought on to Beamer’s squad 22 years later.
“We only spent one year together,” Beamer said. “But it was a powerful year for me to be able to learn to see his work ethic, what he's about as a running back coach, and what he's about as a person.”
Drayton spoke about his comfort level and familiarity with Beamer, as well as his decision to take the job at South Carolina.
“There have not been many opportunities in 33 years where I can work with or for someone that I can absolutely let my hair down and be me and know exactly what's expected of me and know exactly what I can expect of that person, so it's an honor to be here,” Drayton said.
After a year at Mississippi State, Drayton left with his wife Monique to coach at a fellow SEC school, the University of Florida. When Beamer was saying his farewells, he brought his then-girlfriend, Emily, whom he had met in Starkville, to impress her and show her what their life could look like in the future. Beamer joked that she bought it, since he and Emily will celebrate their 20th anniversary in June and have three kids together.
Drayton spoke about being a football family with his wife and their two daughters, Amari and Anaya.
“My wife and I make these decisions together ... her and I have been together for over 30 years now,” Drayton said. “We've seen a lot, been through a lot, grown a lot. Football has raised our family in a lot of ways. We know that when adversity hits programs, it brings the true essence of who people are.”
As Beamer introduced Drayton and his family at the new staff introductory press conference on Dec. 12, 2025, he described Monique as the best part of Drayton and said Drayton would say the same thing.
Along the way, Drayton has crossed paths with several figures connected to South Carolina, further reinforcing the familiarity he felt when the opportunity arose in Columbia.
At Drayton's second NFL stop with the Chicago Bears in 2015-16, he was there at the same time as former South Carolina wide receiver Alshon Jeffery. Drayton coached on the Bears during Jeffery's fourth and fifth seasons of his NFL career.
While with the Bears, Drayton acted as a mentor to Howard when he set Chicago's single-season rookie record for rushing yards. He finished the season with 1,313 yards in 2016.
Drayton spoke about what he has seen from Beamer throughout the years of his coaching.
“I just knew he was coming from a legacy and was trying to build his own name,” Drayton said. “This guy was sharp and just always constantly trying to reinvent himself and learn and just be on top of it, and that's what he was.”
He also spoke about what it means for Beamer to bring him onto South Carolina despite being on different squads for 22 years.
“I just believe in Shane, I know how he's cut, and I know how passionate he is about South Carolina. He's a guy who will get in the trenches and give it everything he's got, and that's what I need to be around,” Drayton said. “So it's awesome to be here, and I'm excited about that whole opportunity.”
More than two decades after their first season together, Beamer and Drayton now find themselves on the same staff once again at South Carolina. This time, they have the benefit of everything they’ve learned along the way.