Clemson officially announces Wes Goodwin out at defensive coordinator

Wes Goodwin led Clemson's defense for three seasons after Brent Venables' departure.

by TigerNet Staff - Jan 6, 2025, 9:01 AM

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney officially announced his decision Monday that Wes Goodwin is out as Clemson's defensive coordinator after three seasons and a national search for his replacement is underway.

“After meeting with Coach Goodwin on Sunday evening, I have decided to make a change at our defensive coordinator position," Swinney said in a news release. "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.”

The Tigers' 2024 campaign ended on December 21 with a loss at Texas in the College Football Playoff first round, and speculation and reports followed on Swinney's defensive coordinator decision over the last few weeks. Gashed by the Longhorns' run game, Clemson slipped to 28th in the defensive FEI rating metric, after finishing third last year and 10th the season before.

In rushing yards allowed per game, Clemson ranks 85th nationally (161), which is down from 24th (114) in 2023 and 13th (102.7) in 2022.

After Brent Venables accepted the Oklahoma head coaching job in December 2021, Goodwin moved into the position from an off-field role as a defensive analyst from 2012-14 and as senior defensive assistant from 2018-21, overseeing defensive breakdowns and opponent scouting, assisting with on-campus recruiting and also serving as one of the program’s primary liaisons to NFL scouting personnel and coaches.

He was a Clemson graduate assistant from 2009-11. Between his stints at Clemson, Goodwin spent three years with the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals, serving as an assistant to head coach Bruce Arians from 2015-17.

"All I can tell you is Wes Goodwin is special," Swinney said of the hire in December 2021. "Wes has worked with the best of the best. He got his start with Ellis Johnson, and I worked with Ellis at Alabama; Ellis is one of the best. He worked with Kevin Steele; Kevin is one of the best. And then he’s been around some great ones in the NFL. Spent time with Sylvester Croom as well. He and I [smiling] have both done a tour of duty with Bruce [Arians]… We’ve always had that connection, and Bruce has tried to take him back, but we were able to hang on to him. He’s worked obviously with Brent [Venables], so he has a wealth of experience that I think he will tap into and do it his way."

He is a native of Grove Hill, Alabama.