Former NFL head coach joins Clemson football staff ahead of 2026 season
A former NFL coach with ties to Dabo Swinney is joining Clemson’s staff.
Former Cleveland Browns coach and longtime college and NFL assistant Freddie Kitchens now identifies himself as a Clemson football staff member on X (formerly Twitter), according to his online profile viewed by The State on Tuesday morning.
Kitchens, 51, was most recently the offensive coordinator for Bill Belichick and UNC football in 2025. He was fired on Dec. 12 after the Tar Heels went 4-8 (2-6 ACC).
The news of Kitchens’ expected hire was first reported by Larry Williams of TigerIllustrated on Jan. 3. Kitchens is not yet listed in Clemson’s university staff directory, but Williams reported that Kitchens will work for Clemson in a volunteer role as he collects buyout money from his UNC offensive coordinator contract.
Clemson and Swinney often bring in former Power 4 coaches/assistants as volunteer assistants. Last year, former ECU coach Mike Houston and former UNC receivers coach Lonnie Galloway worked for the Tigers in that capacity.
Freddie Kitchens’ NFL, college experience
Swinney has a more formal connection with Kitchens, too, as Swinney was a graduate assistant at Alabama in the late 1990s when Kitchens was the team’s starting quarterback. They’re longtime friends and colleagues, per reports.
Kitchens worked in college football from 1999 to 2005 before working in the NFL from 2006-21. He was promoted from the Browns’ associate head coach/running backs coach to head coach ahead of the 2019 season but was fired after going 6-10.
Since leaving the NFL, Kitchens has worked as an analyst for South Carolina and Shane Beamer (2022) and a tight ends coach, run game coordinator, interim head coach and OC at UNC during Mack Brown and Belichick’s tenures (2023-25).
Per a copy of his most recent UNC contract, Kitchens was set to make $1.2 million in base salary as the Tar Heels’ offensive coordinator in 2026-27. UNC will pay him that salary in monthly installments through January 2027 after firing him.
This story was originally published January 20, 2026 at 9:19 AM.
