Trey Money has climbed a long way in a short amount of time, and South Carolina’s linebackers room is now his to run.
The Gamecocks named Money their linebackers coach in January, the latest step in a steady rise that started with volunteer work and kept building from there. He arrived in Columbia as a graduate assistant in 2022, then moved up to analyst in 2023 and assistant linebackers coach in 2024 before getting the full-time job.
For Money, the path started well before he ever got to South Carolina. The North Carolina native could have chosen to play “lower level” college football out of high school, but instead he went to Appalachian State and jumped into the football program right away.
From 2014-16, he worked as a student assistant for the Mountaineers, then became a graduate assistant in 2017. During that stretch, App State went 37-14, won back-to-back Sun Belt championships, and Money earned a degree in finance.
“I like to tell everybody my degree says finance, but I really majored in football, and that was kind of something that I picked up along the side,” Money told The State at USC’s media day Aug. 6.
“... I knew that I wanted to coach as soon as I got out of high school.
I was able to get my foot in the door and took off volunteering for three years, which has got me where I am today.
“Still keep up a little bit on the finance world. Pretty decent manager of money, but ball is where I really pride myself.”
That early start helped Money get into Power Four programs after college. He spent 2018 as a graduate assistant at Georgia Tech under Hall of Fame coach Paul Johnson, working with the inside linebackers in Johnson’s final season there. In 2019, he was a GA at Louisville and worked with the safeties.
Money also spent time back at Appalachian State in 2020, returning for a two-season run in quality control with the linebackers before another opening pulled him into the SEC.
South Carolina had a graduate assistant job available under Shane Beamer in 2022, and Money got in late in the process. He didn’t know defensive coordinator Clayton White, but a mutual connection linked them up, and about a week later Money was on staff.
White has watched the progression up close, and he made clear how much of the room Money had already been handling before the official title changed.
“He’s been in the linebacker role for five years with me,” White told The State. “If I wasn’t coaching them, he was.
He’s prepared every meeting since we’ve been here, and prepared every tape. He’s basically been coaching the linebackers with me.”
Money has helped develop a linebacker group that has included future pros Demetrius Knight and Bam Martin-Scott, along with All-SEC selection Debo Williams. White said the players never saw much difference once Money was elevated.
“In this business, if you can reward somebody with something like that, I think it’s a great opportunity,” White said. “He’s put the work in.
Great guy, great coach, great family. The players love him. ...
To them there was no difference. Now I just let him run the meetings.”
The linebackers say that part hasn’t changed since he took over. Shawn Murphy described Money as a players coach who connects with everyone in the room and keeps the focus on the work.
“Coach Money is all about ball,” Murphy said. “He’s a great guy, a great dude all around.
He really pours into us every day. He’s excited to be in the building to take care of us.
He makes sure we know what we’re supposed to know and where we’re supposed to be.”
Money said one of his goals was to become a position coach by age 30, and he reached that milestone just weeks after the promotion, turning 31 in February. He’s happy with where he is now, even if he can see a future step beyond it.
“At the end of the day, my number one job is make sure that Clayton White’s the best defensive coordinator in the SEC,” Money said.
In Other News...
Gamecocks Near Big O-Line Decision With Early Stability At Stake
After a couple of preseason scrimmages, Shane Beamer said South Carolina is getting close to settling on its starting five along the offensive line, a development that matters a lot for a unit trying to build chemistry fast. The group looks different almost everywhere you turn, with 15 of the 21 linemen new to the program, and the staff has also brought in Randy Clements as the new position coach while Kendal Briles handles the offense.
Beamers latest update suggests the Gamecocks are aiming for early stability up front, even if the lineup may still be in flux deeper into camp. He also said the plan is to use more than five linemen during games, a sign South Carolina wants to keep bodies fresh and manage the grind of the season without asking the same five players to carry every snap. [Read more 🡒]
Shane Beamer Fires Back As LaNorris Sellers Draws Ridiculous Heat
Shane Beamer spent part of the week pushing back on a different kind of noise around LaNorris Sellers, one that had little to do with what happens on the field. The South Carolina coach defended his quarterback after social media criticism surfaced over Sellers spending his final-semester internship at a local golf center, stressing that the work is tied to his major and fits the academic path he has taken at the school.
Beamer also pointed to the bigger picture around Sellers, who has made the Deans List four times and is on track to graduate in December. For a program that has watched him grow into one of its most important figures, the message was less about the internship itself and more about reminding people that football players are students first, and that Sellers has earned support for handling both sides of college life the right way. [Read more 🡒]
South Carolina Opens With One Big Question Around Dylan Stewart And Peak
Shane Beamer offered a clearer picture of where Dylan Stewart and Jacarrius Peak stand as South Carolina counts down to the opener against Kent State, and the update was encouraging even if it did not point to immediate availability. Both injured players have been moving in the right direction, but they missed spring practice and most of preseason camp, leaving the Gamecocks to manage the first week of the season without two players they would rather have on the field.
The bigger question now is how soon the pair can be cleared for full participation and then eased back into game action. Beamer left open the possibility that help could arrive soon, with Towson or Mississippi State mentioned as realistic landing spots, but for now South Carolina is still waiting on the final medical step that will determine when Stewart and Peak can actually rejoin the rotation. [Read more 🡒]