Defensive coordinator locked in for Beamer and South Carolina, reports say
Shane Beamer has found the leader of his defense.
According to reports Saturday from Yahoo and The Athletic, South Carolina’s head football coach is finalizing a deal with Clayton White to become the Gamecocks’ new defensive coordinator.
White comes to USC after four seasons in the same role at Western Kentucky, where he was nominated three times (2017, 2019, 2020) for the Broyles Award, given to the nation’s top assistant coach.
This past year, the Hilltoppers ranked 22nd nationally in opponents’ yards per play and gave up just over 25 points per game. In 2019, White led a WKU unit that ranked in the top 25 nationally in scoring defense, holding opponents to just 20.1 points per game. At Western Kentucky, he has run a 4-2-5 scheme.
According to Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports, White has been a “sought after” defensive coordinator candidate on the coaching market the past few years. He was reportedly a DC candidate a year ago at Syracuse and was linked to Missouri’s opening this week. In the middle of last season, Football Scoop reported he was a potential head coaching candidate at Austin Peay.
White is a former NFL player who played his college ball at N.C. State before spending three years in the pros. From there, he jumped into the coaching ranks at the high school level before getting his first college job at Western Carolina in 2004 coaching defensive backs.
In 2005, he served on staff at WCU alongside wide receivers coach Marcus Satterfield — Satterfield was reported to be South Carolina’s offensive coordinator choice on Friday. Beamer and USC have yet to officially announce either hire.
From there, White has had stops Western Michigan, Stanford, Connecticut and N.C. State, coaching everything from special teams to running backs to safeties. At Western Kentucky, he has coached defensive backs in addition to his duties as defensive coordinator.
At South Carolina, White will take over a unit that struggled mightily in 2020, giving up 36 points per game. At one critical stretch that culminated in former coach Will Muschamp’s dismissal, the Gamecocks gave up 159 points in three games.
White would replace Travaris Robinson, who worked as defensive coordinator for all five years under previous coach Muschamp’s regime. On Saturday, Miami (Florida) announced Robinson would take over as the program’s new defensive backs coach.
CLAYTON WHITE COACHING FILE
2003: Sanderson (N.C.) HS (Defensive Backs)
2004-05: Western Carolina (Defensive Backs/Recruiting Coordinator)
2006: Western Michigan (Defensive Backs/Special Teams)
2007-09: Stanford (Defensive Backs)
2010: WKU (Co-Special Teams Coordinator/Defensive Backs)
2011-12: Connecticut (Special Teams Coordinator/Running Backs)
2013-16: NC State (Co-Special Teams Coordinator/Safeties)
2017-2020: WKU (Defensive Coordinator/Cornerbacks)
This story was originally published January 9, 2021 at 2:32 PM.
