On Monday, January 6th, Clemson Athletics announced that Dabo Swinney had decided to move on from defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin. This came after a disappointing output by the defense throughout the 2024 season, especially against the run. Even with the talent the Tigers had on defense, they finished outside the top 50 in FBS in both points allowed and yards allowed per game. They also gave up 160.6 rushing yards per game. Goodwin’s defense gave up 150 yards rushing in each of their last four games. They gave up 250+ yards on the ground in three of those four.
Major adjustments were needed to bring an immensely talented defense up to standard. Goodwin or any other coach losing their job is never a good thing. However, it creates excitement around the program if the right person is brought in. With the first week of the search coming to a close, the hunt for the new Clemson defensive coordinator is just getting started.
Clemson Searches for its Next Defensive Coordinator
What Swinney is Looking for
Just like with any other job, there are certain attributes Swinney will be looking for in who he hires as his new defensive coordinator. The top priority for Swinney in his hunt is said to be someone with coordinator experience already. This is similar to the approach he took when selecting a new offensive coordinator after the 2022 season. That is how Garrett Riley eventually ended up in Death Valley. Swinney looks to be attempting to create a similar spark.
For years Swinney opted to promote his coaches from within. That is how Goodwin got the defensive coordinator job after Brent Venables took the head coaching job at Oklahoma. Goodwin was a long-time defensive assistant at Clemson under Venables before earning the coordinator job.
Switching things up and going outside the program worked for the offensive side of the ball. Riley has got the Tigers’ offense clicking again and Cade Klubnik in Heisman conversations. Another veteran hire Matt Luke has also got the offensive line playing much better as well. Doing the same for the defensive side might be what the Tigers need to keep the program’s momentum moving in the right direction.
Most Talked About Names
In the first week of searching, there have already been many names mentioned in the running for the job. There has yet to be anyone said to have an edge over other candidates. There have been some names mentioned more often though. Early on Tennessee defensive coordinator Tim Banks was talked about heavily for the job. Reports say there have already been talks between the Clemson program and Banks but it is unlikely he will be named as the new coordinator.
Another name has been Georgia Tech defensive coordinator Tyler Santucci. He has three years of coordinator experience at three different FBS schools. Those schools are Georgia Tech, Duke, and Texas A&M. Santucci’s defenses at both Duke and Texas A&M were top 25 in scoring with both allowing less than 21 points per game.
Indiana defensive coordinator Bryant Haines has also been mentioned for the position. Haines just finished his 6th season as a defensive coordinator. He began his tenure at James Madison with Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti. In his four seasons at JMU, the Dukes were top 10 overall defensively. In 2023 Haines’ Dukes had the best rushing defense in the FBS giving up just 61.5 rushing yards per game.
One last name that has been mentioned a few times as well is Denver Broncos defensive backs coach Jim Leonhard. Before going to Denver, Leonhard was the defensive coordinator at Wisconsin for six years. In 2017 he was a finalist for the Broyles Award, given to the nation’s top assistant coach. All of these coaches are great candidates for Swinney and the Tigers. Any of them would help improve the defense immediately. Especially with several of them seeing a jump in talent compared to their current destination.
Other Names Mentioned
There have also been other names mentioned in this coaching search who have not been talked about as much or don’t seem very likely to take the job. They still can be potential candidates though as the search continues. One name that was recently thrown into the mix was Norte Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden. It has been said though that he is looking more at a potential NFL job after the Irish finish their season with the National Championship Game next week.
Another name that has been talked about is one within the Clemson program, Mike Reed. He is the cornerbacks coach for the Tigers. Reed is a veteran position coach at the FBS level and one of the best on Swinney’s staff. Reed would be a great candidate and will likely receive a coordinator position somewhere soon. It most likely won’t be this one though because of Swinney’s focus on bringing in someone with previous coordinator experience.
One last name that has been brought up in the last couple of days is SMU defensive coordinator Scott Symons. The Broyles Award semi-finalist helped lead the Mustangs to the conference championship and playoffs in their first year as part of the ACC. Symons’ defense ranked in the top 25 in multiple categories. These include defensive touchdowns, rush defense, team sacks, interceptions, and tackles for loss. He along with the other candidates named could have great success with the talent on the Clemson defense.
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