Clemson moving on from defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin after 3 years, reports say

Clemson football is in the market for a new defensive coordinator.

The Tigers and coach Dabo Swinney have informed current defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin that he won’t return in that role for 2025, On3 Sports’ Pete Nakos and ESPN’s Pete Thamel both reported late Saturday night.

Nakos reported that Goodwin’s office has been cleaned out and, while he won’t return as DC, he “could return as an analyst,” which would be a demotion.

Thamel added in his report that Clemson and Swinney have been “putting together next steps in recent days” and should have more clarity on the move “soon.”

Those national reports on Saturday night followed multiple local reports earlier in the week that Goodwin would not return as defensive coordinator.

Reached by The State on Saturday, a team spokesman declined to comment. Goodwin was also still listed in the university directory as of late Saturday.

One possible reason for the delay in Clemson confirming Goodwin’s departure as DC: He has also has been linked to the defensive coordinator job at Oklahoma, where former star Clemson DC Brent Venables is entering his fourth year as coach.

Goodwin was making $1.4 million in total salary in 2024, according to a copy of his most recent contract obtained by The State. He is set to earn $1.5 million in 2025-26 and $1.6 million in 2026-27 under a three-year deal approved last February.

If Clemson were to fire Goodwin without cause, it would owe him 100% of the total compensation remaining on his contract.

If Goodwin were to take another job after getting fired, the buyout would be reduced “dollar for dollar” by his next salary and Clemson would pay the difference.

But if Goodwin were to leave Clemson to take another job, he instead would owe Clemson 25% of his remaining total compensation over the contract (about $775,000). That employee buyout, though, can be waived at Clemson’s discretion.

Clemson’s defensive struggles

Clemson’s season ended with a 38-24 loss at Texas in the first round of the CFP on Dec. 21 in Austin. In that defeat, Clemson’s defense surrendered season highs in points, total yards (494) and rushing yards (292).

Goodwin, a former Clemson analyst who was hired with no formal play-calling experience, was tapped by Swinney in 2021 to replace longtime defensive coordinator Venables after Venables accepted Oklahoma’s head coaching job.

Clemson’s defense performed well in Goodwin’s first two seasons, and the Tigers tied for the national lead in turnovers forced and defensive touchdowns and finished among the national top 10 in total defense and passing defense in 2023.

That earned Goodwin, 40, who is also the team’s linebackers coach, a contract extension and a big raise heading into the 2024 season.

But the Tigers’ defense regressed significantly in Goodwin’s third year overseeing the unit. Clemson (10-4) struggled defensively in a number of games against top competition this year and ended the season ranked (as of games through Jan. 3):

• No. 69 in total defense (374.1 yards per game allowed)

• No. 85 in rushing defense (160.6 yards per game allowed)

• No. 99 in opponent rushing yards per carry (4.71 ypc allowed)

Clemson’s defense also surrendered 73 plays of 20 or more yards from scrimmage (No. 126 nationally) and 30 rushing plays of 20 or more yards from scrimmage (No. 132). Those were both bottom-seven totals out of 133 FBS football teams.

The Tigers’ big-play struggles were on full display against Texas. The Longhorns had 38 points against Clemson (28 in the first half) and recorded pass completions of 16, 19, 21 and 43 yards and rushes of 11, 12, 16, 19, 21, 22, 38 and 77 yards.

Those eight rushes accounted for 216, or 74%, of Texas’ 292 overall rushing yards and dropped Clemson’s season-long yards per carry allowed average to 4.71. That’s the worst mark by a Clemson defense since 2012 and worst overall since 1975.

“The first drive, I thought we came out with great energy, just a couple little alignment issues there that we got cleaned up.” Goodwin said postgame. “The next drive, missed a tackle for a loss, but just a couple little things here and there that lead to big things. It’s always the pebble in your shoe, not the mountain ahead.”

Wes Goodwin coaching background

Goodwin, a 2007 Mississippi State graduate, coached his entire Clemson career under Swinney. He started with the Tigers as a graduate assistant from 2009-11 before moving to a defensive analyst under Venables from 2012-14.

After working three years with the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals, Goodwin returned to Clemson as a senior defensive assistant and became one of Venables’ top aides from 2018-21 before his then-boss accepted the Oklahoma job three years ago.

Upon promoting Goodwin to defensive coordinator in 2021, Swinney said: “All I can tell you is Wes Goodwin is special. Wes has worked with the best of the best. … He has a wealth of experience that I think he will tap into and do it his way.”

Now, Swinney will be searching for his fourth DC at Clemson after previously employing Kevin Steele (2009-11), Venables (2012-21) and Goodwin (2021-24).

This is the third consecutive season Clemson has moved on from at least one assistant coach. Swinney fired former OC Brandon Streeter in 2022 (replaced by Garrett Riley) and former OL coach Thomas Austin in 2023 (replaced by Matt Luke).

Defensive ends coach Lemanski Hall (replaced by Chris Rumph) also left the program after 2023 in what was framed as a “mutual parting of ways.”

What’s next for Clemson at DC?

All four of Swinney’s most recent staff changes (Streeter, Austin, Hall and Goodwin) saw him move on from either internal hires or coaches who’d had minimal experience outside of Clemson as the Tigers struggled to compete nationally.

The eventual replacements for those first three coaches (Riley, Luke and Rumph) were all outside hires with high-level experience in other power conferences such as the SEC and the Big 12 as either coordinators or head coaches.

Swinney is reportedly leaning toward doing the same at DC, with The Clemson Insider reporting Clemson hopes to identify and hire an “experienced defensive coordinator” with stops at other programs to lead the unit in 2025.