Clemson signs Brent Venables to new record-setting deal

Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables was rewarded for another strong season with a three-year contract paying him $2 million per year in February.

Five months later, he has received another new deal.

Venables and Clemson have agreed to a five-year, $11.6 million deal, the university announced Thursday morning. The new contract is the largest for an assistant coach in college football. The news was first reported by Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports.

Clemson’s board of trustees met Thursday morning and approved new contracts of Venables and men’s basketball coach Brad Brownell.

Venables’ new deal includes retention bonuses for each year he remains at Clemson. He will receive a $200,000 bonus each year for the first two years of the deal and a $400,000 bonus per year for the final three.

The retention bonus will be paid in the form of a life insurance plan. It will be paid within 15 days of the conclusion of the College Football Playoff championship game each season.

Venables is still the second-highest paid assistant per year as LSU defensive coordinator Dave Aranda agreed to a four-year contract that will pay him $2.5 million per year in January. But the total $11.6 million deal is the highest for an assistant in the sport.

Venables must pay 25 percent of the total compensation remaining on the contract if he leaves for another assistant coaching job, but there is no buyout if he takes a head coaching job.

Clemson’s defense has ranked in the top 10 each of the past four years. The Tigers finished No. 1 in total defense in 2014 and were No. 4 this past season.

This story was originally published July 19, 2018 at 9:02 AM.