South Carolina adding two new assistant football coaches? Here’s what we know

More changes are coming to the South Carolina football staff.

The Gamecocks appear to be close to finding their new running back coach.

Liberty running backs coach/co-offensive coordinator Newland Isaac is the front-runner for the job, a source close to the situation told The State. The Gamecocks have been looking for a replacement for Montario Hardesty, who was not retained after the 2023 season.

Isaac is one of three finalists for the opening, the source said. He has ties to the area and played high school football at Lower Richland.

Isaac has been on Jamey Chadwell’s staff at Liberty and also coached with him at Coastal Carolina and Charleston Southern. A decision is expected this week.

The Gamecocks also could be losing a member of its staff and adding another, according to reports.

GamecockCentral and 247Sports reported Wednesday morning that tight ends coach Jody Wright is in negotiations to be the next head football coach at Murray State.

Both networks also reported that veteran assistant coach James Coley is joining Shane Beamer’s staff, but no role was specified. Coley was tight ends coach at Texas A&M this year but was let go when Jimbo Fisher was fired.

Coley has worked with Beamer at Georgia where he was offensive coordinator.

A separate source told The State that Coley’s family was checking out schools for their children in the Columbia area last week.