Swinney Grades Goodwin and Streeter

Head coach Dabo Swinney offered his thoughts on how his first-year coordinators have performed.

After a decade under different leadership, the defensive reins were passed to Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach Wes Goodwin prior to 2021 Cheez-It Bowl. In his first game as a defensive play-caller, Goodwin’s defense held Iowa State to 270 yards of offense, more than 165 yards below the Cyclones’ per game average entering the contest. 

Head coach Dabo Swinney offered his thoughts on how his first-year coordinators have performed.

"We haven’t been perfect, but the name of the game is to find a way to win," Swinney said. "And we’ve been able to do that. We’ve been able to come up with a crucial stop when we’ve had to have it and the crucial score when we’ve had to have it. That’s ultimately what it’s all about. We are really settling in and growing."

A year ago, Clemson lost seven of its 11 offensive starters from its 2020 College Football Playoff squad and returned players responsible for only 31 percent of the team’s total offense from the prior year, which ranked 125th out of 130 FBS teams. The unit gained valuable experience throughout 2021 and enters 2022 more battle-tested and carrying momentum gained from the emergence of young contributors down the stretch. 

The balance and the resulting success of the Clemson offense since the 2014 postseason resulted in Clemson graduate and long-time Clemson playcaller Tony Elliott earning the head coaching job at Virginia last December. 

Promoted in the wake of his departure was Brandon Streeter, Clemson’s quarterbacks coach who added the title of Offensive Coordinator prior to the team’s 2021 Cheez-It Bowl win. While 2022 will be his first full season calling plays for his alma mater, Streeter spent six years as an offensive coordinator at Liberty (2009-11) and Richmond (2012-14) before joining the Tigers for the 2014 postseason

It’s not just Wes, Street or (co-defensive coordinator) Mickey (Conn)," Swinney said. "It’s our whole support staff. We have a lot of moving pieces in our support staff on offense and defense, and those guys are doing a fantastic job week in and week out with game planning. Everybody is really invested, but Street and Wes have done an excellent job."

“Sometimes you make a bad call, and you don’t get hurt with it. Somebody makes you look good. Sometimes you make a perfect call and somebody busts and you look bad,” Swinney said. “There’s a lot that goes into it that people don’t really necessarily know or see, but those guys have done a great job . And then what I see during the week as far as our structure, our organization and our communication. I really like how we’re practicing. There’s just a lot of positives with those guys.”

Those positives equal not just a passing grade for the Tiger first-year coordinators, but an excellent one.

“I give them an A,” Swinney said. “We’re 5-0."

Clemson is currently a 20.5-point favorite, according to Fanduel.

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