South Carolina’s midseason coaching changes in 2025 are still being felt financially, as new details have emerged regarding the buyout owed to former offensive coordinator Mike Shula.
According to documents obtained through a public records request, the university will pay Shula a total of $2.365 million following his dismissal, spread out in monthly installments of $91,666.67 through December 28, 2027. The payments will continue for the next two years, keeping Shula on the payroll long after his exit from the program.
Shula was fired on Nov. 2, less than a year after being promoted from senior offensive assistant to offensive coordinator. He had signed a three-year contract worth $1.1 million per season, making him the second-highest-paid assistant coach on the staff behind defensive coordinator Clayton White.
Head coach Shane Beamer made the move one day after a 30–14 loss to Ole Miss dropped the Gamecocks to 3–6 on the season. At the time, South Carolina ranked last in the SEC in points scored, rushing yards, and first downs. The program ultimately finished the 2025 season with a 4–8 record, prompting a broader reevaluation of the coaching staff.
Athletic director Jeremiah Donati formally informed Shula of his termination without cause on Nov. 3. Shula was the second of three assistants dismissed during the 2025 campaign. Offensive line coach Lonnie Teasley was let go earlier in October and later joined Nebraska as run game coordinator, while running backs coach Marquel Blackwell was dismissed in December and is now at UConn as quarterbacks coach and pass game coordinator.
South Carolina moved quickly to reset its offense, hiring Kendal Briles as the new offensive coordinator on Dec. 11. While the Gamecocks look ahead to 2026, the financial impact of the 2025 season’s struggles will linger, as the program continues paying a multimillion-dollar buyout tied to a turbulent year on the field.
