Coaching Spotlight: Nick Eason Adds Wealth of Experience, Knowledge to Clemson

Nick Eason isn't like some of the other former Clemson Tigers who have made up Dabo Swinney's staff over the years.

© Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK

Nick Eason isn't like some of the other former Clemson Tigers who have made up Dabo Swinney's staff over the years. 

The former defensive lineman turned defensive tackles coach didn't play for his new boss like Tony Elliott, Tyler Grisham and C.J. Spiller. He wasn't groomed from a young age by Swinney, and Eason isn't cutting his teeth with the Tigers, either. 

Eason, 42, came to Clemson in the offseason as a seasoned assistant coach who has worked at both the collegiate and NFL levels. Now, he looks to add a wealth of experience and knowledge to one of the program's strongest positions in his first year back on campus. 

"In this hire, I really wanted a guy who had great experience at the NFL level," Swinney said when he hired Eason on Jan. 7. "I wanted somebody who has coached the best of the best at the highest level, and that’s exactly what he’s done. He was a great player at Clemson and he’s a great Clemson man."

Eason's resume

The Lyons, Georgia, native made a name for himself at Tooms County High School before coming to Clemson in 1999. Eason played four seasons on the Tigers' defense, racking up 153 career tackles and 15 sacks in 47 games (35 starts). Eason became the first Tiger football player to earn his degree in two years, and he went on to get his master's degree as well. 

Eason was drafted in the 4th round by the Denver Broncos in 2003. After suffering an Achilles injury his rookie season, Eason played for the Scottish Claymores in NFL Europe before being cut in 2004. He was picked up by the Cleveland Browns, where he spent three seasons as a defensive lineman. 

Eason signed a free-agent deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2007, where he played for four seasons. He had 16 tackles, 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble in 16 games in 2010 when Eason earned a Super Bowl ring with the Steelers. For the next two seasons, he played 32 games for the Arizona Cardinals.

Eason finished his pro playing career with 132 tackles, nine tackles for a loss and seven sacks in nine seasons. After retirement, Eason became the assistant defensive line coach with the Browns in 2013.

The following year, he moved to the staff of the Tennessee Titans to work with former Steelers assistant Ken Whisenhunt as the defensive line coach. He was kept on staff by Mike Mularkey in 2016, but Eason moved to Cincinnati to join Bengals head coach Zac Taylor in 2019. 

Last year, Eason went to the college ranks as the defensive line coach at Auburn, and if Swinney hadn't needed to replace former assistant Todd Bates, who left to join Brent Venables at Oklahoma, Eason would still be in the SEC, where he helped Auburn produce its highest number of sacks in 2021 since 2018. 

Eason's job duties

Despite a short history of recruiting, Eason is known for developing relationships and getting talent on campus. He was beginning to make a name for himself at Auburn before joining Clemson, where he's already landed a commitment from five-star prospect Peter Woods from Alabama and four-star recruit Vic Burley from Georgia in the 2023 class. 

Eason is more than qualified to coach at Clemson. He can easily sell his pro experience to both current and prospective players since he knows what it takes to make it in the NFL. 

And he gets a stellar group of D-tackles, made up of veterans Tyler Davis, Bryan Bresee, Tre Williams, Ruke Orhorhoro and Etinosa Reuben, to work with in 2022. This strong position won't miss a beat with Eason leading the way. 

"He was incredibly respected all throughout his career as a player and coach," Swinney said. "He’s coached the best of the best, he’s a Super Bowl champion, but I love his passion for coaching and teaching young people. He’s been drawn to the college level by the impact he can have on a young person’s life, and he just really fits and aligns with our values here at Clemson. It’s just an added bonus that he happened to be a great player here at Clemson."

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