When Luke Doty was growing up in Myrtle Beach, the dream was to run the whole show one day. For the last two seasons, South Carolina defensive backs coach Torian Gray called him “Coach Doty,” and now Shane Beamer has made it official for the 24-year-old after massive player retention.
Luke Doty has officially joined the staff in Columbia, per TheBigSpur247, after spending his entire college football career in South Carolina. The former South Gamecocks QB/WR is joining Shane Beamer’s staff as a defensive assistant, working with Torian Gray. He updated his X and Instagram bios to read “Gamecock defensive assistant/defensive backs.” But the curious part in this is how an offensive player is transitioning to a defensive coaching role.
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Luke Doty threw and caught the football in college, and now he’s working with the secondary. This news comes in the wake of Shane Beamer’s successful retention of LaNorris Sellers. Regardless, Doty already has close connections with the DB coach. This opportunity shouldn’t be wasted, because who better to help DBs understand route combinations and QB reads than someone who’s executed them live in SEC games?
Over his career, Luke Doty played in 47 games and threw for 1,696 yards with nine TDs and nine interceptions. He also produced as WR, making 16 catches for 140 yards and a score. He even received special teams snaps and leadership roles. He did a little bit of everything.
“When I’m not out on the field, I can still be there and engaged with my teammates, and it also helps me to stay engaged within the game plan,” he said last season. “Talking ball with the guys is something that I think is good for developing relationships, too.”
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Back in November, Shane Beamer didn’t hesitate when asked if he’d consider bringing Luke Doty onto the staff.
“He and I haven’t had that conversation, but yeah, if he was interested in getting into coaching, and he wanted to continue to try and stay around here, sign me up,” the head coach said.
Luke Doty now joins a defensive staff that includes former All-American safety Jaylan Foster, who works primarily with nickel backs. And this move fits a larger theme as Shane Beamer has quietly reshaped parts of his staff this offseason.
Shane Beamer’s staff overhaul wasn’t just about culture. He made aggressive moves to reshape the offense, bringing in Kendal Briles to spark the attack as OC and fortifying the trenches with O-line coach Randy ‘Clem’ Clements. And with all these retentions, Beamer still had one non-negotiable, which was about retaining his most important QB, as he revealed how he locked LaNorris Sellers in.
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Shane Beamer reveals how he retained LaNorris Sellers
Shane Beamer is betting on star retention, staff carousel, and keeping alumni like Luke Doty inside the building. Doty’s presence on staff could be vital for the roster. As a former 4-star recruit who led Myrtle Beach HS to a state title, the 24-year-old brings instant credibility to the locker room.
Doty embodies the program’s focus on retention, a theme that extended to the player roster this offseason with stars like LaNorris Sellers and Dylan Stewart staying put. Sellers and Dylan Stewart were both rumored as potential transfer portal targets, and when such rumors surface, people start to imagine there’s bigger money involved. Shane Beamer admitted as much.
“There wasn’t some big recruiting spiel that I had to give those guys; it’s the culture in this program,” he told On3. “They certainly could have gone a lot of places for a lot more money. We’re consistent in the way we treat guys day to day… Those guys are happy. They know they’re going to get developed here, and they know we have a chance to win football games here.”
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The duo’s return in 2026 immediately raises the ceiling. Since 2024, both have established themselves as cornerstone players. Even during a disappointing 2025 season, their development was obvious. And now they’re back to run it back for the final time.
