Dabo Swinney Makes Change to Clemson Tigers Football Coaching Staff Official

Dabo Swinney has officially announced a change being made to the Clemson Tigers football coaching staff.

Clemson defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin during Spring football practice at the Poe Indoor Practice Facility at the Allen N. Reeves football complex in Clemson S.C. Monday, March 4, 2024. / Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Clemson Tigers finished the 2024 college football season with a 10-4 record and as ACC Champions, defeating the SMU Mustangs 34-31 to earn a spot in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff.

Their stay in the playoff was not long as they were defeated by the Texas Longhorns 38-24 in the first round.

It was a disappointing exit for sure, but an appearance that not many people expected from the Tigers based on how the season was trending at points in the regular season. They were written off at several points of the year but always found a way to overcome the odds with some help from other teams.

Expectations will once again be incredibly high as the team prepares for the 2025 campaign. A lot of talent on both sides of the ball will return to the team, but the coaching staff will undergo some major changes.

On Monday, head coach Dabo Swinney officially announced that defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin will not be returning to the coaching staff next season.

He released a statement about the change on the team’s official website.

“After meeting with Coach Goodwin on Sunday evening, I have decided to make a change at our defensive coordinator position. I want to thank Wes for his character, commitment, leadership and dedication as well as the relentless work ethic with which he approached his job every day. Wes has been a part of our program for 13 of the past 16 years, and he played an instrumental part in all of our success. I love Wes and his family and wish him all the best as he continues his journey. I know he has a bright future ahead.

“I will start the interview process immediately and will hope to have our new defensive coordinator named by the end of the month or sooner. Our staff has been hard at work on our roster, and we look forward to solidifying our defensive coordinator position to help lead this extremely talented group as we pursue our goals for 2025.”

This was a move that had been rumored to be coming for days before it was made official on Monday morning.

Goodwin began his tenure with the program as a graduate assistant in 2009, a position he held through 2011. After that, he was a defensive analyst for three years before heading to the NFL and joining the Arizona Cardinals as an assistant to the head coach from 2015-2017.

In 2018, he began his second stint with Clemson as a senior defensive assistant. He held that position until 2021 before being promoted to defensive coordinator in 2022, along with being the linebackers coach.

Goodwin took over as the leader of the defense when Will Venebles accepted the head coaching position with the Oklahoma Sooners.

Whoever is hired by Swinney to take over the job will be inheriting a unit with a ton of talent. They will have the pieces in place to get this unit back to the level we are accustomed to seeing them perform at.