Clemson confirms Wes Goodwin firing. Dabo Swinney explains what’s next at DC
Clemson football’s defensive coordinator change is official.
Current DC Wes Goodwin “will not return to Clemson’s coaching staff” for the 2025 season, coach Dabo Swinney announced through a press release Monday morning.
There were no other staff changes mentioned in the press release.
Confirming a move that had been widely reported over the past week, Swinney said in a statement that after meeting with 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,” Swinney said. “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.”
As for replacing Goodwin, Swinney said he will start the interview process for a new defensive coordinator “immediately” and hopes to have a new DC 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,” Swinney said.
Swinney will be searching for his fourth DC at Clemson after previously employing Kevin Steele (2009-11), Brent Venables (2012-21) and Goodwin (2021-24).
Goodwin’s next moves are unclear. It had been reported that he could return to Clemson in an analyst role, but Monday’s press release confirmed that won’t happen.
Goodwin had also been connected earlier this month to the open defensive coordinator job at Oklahoma under Venables, who’s in his fourth season as head coach. Former Sooners coordinator Zac Alley left for the same job at West Virginia.
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 was set to earn $1.5 million in 2025-26 and $1.6 million in 2026-27 under a three-year deal approved last February.
Since Clemson has fired Goodwin without cause, it now owes him 100% of the total compensation remaining on his contract ($3.1 million through Jan. 31, 2027).
But if Goodwin were to take another job after getting fired, that buyout would be reduced “dollar for dollar” by his next salary and Clemson would pay the difference in the two salaries via a common contract procedure known as mitigation.
Unless Goodwin lands another defensive coordinator job, though, Clemson will likely be on the hook to pay him out the majority of his remaining salary.
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, the 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 Brent 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.
Wes Goodwin’s 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.”
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.”
This story was originally published January 6, 2025 at 9:11 AM.
