Clemson expected to hire former Tiger Nick Eason

Eason coached in the NFL previously before coming to the college ranks with Auburn last season.

by TigerNet Staff - Wed Jan 05 10:44:32 GMT-04:00 2022

Former Clemson standout Nick Eason could be coming home soon.

TigerNet confirmed Wednesday that Eason is expected to take over the defensive line coach role left by Todd Bates bolting for Oklahoma this week. Eason coached defensive line for a season at Auburn this past season and here’s a look at his profile from those other Tigers:

A native of Lyons, Ga., Eason starred on the defensive line at Clemson and became the first football player in school history to graduate with two years of eligibility remaining, earning his degree in sociology in August 2001. In 2008, he earned his master's degree in human resources. Eason played in 47 games with 35 starts for the Tigers and recorded 15 sacks and 30 tackles for losses. A two-time team captain his junior and senior seasons, he earned first-team All-ACC honors as a senior defensive tackle.

In 2019 and 2020, Eason was the defensive line coach for the Cincinnati Bengals. Cincinnati notched 11 more sacks in the second half of 2019 compared to the first eight games. The defense also allowed 84.1 fewer yards per game the second half of the season. Additionally, under Eason's guidance, DT Geno Atkins earned his eighth Pro Bowl nomination.

Eason spent 2014-17 with the Tennessee Titans, serving his first two seasons as assistant defensive line coach before moving up to the defensive line coach role for his final two years.

In his two seasons (2016-17) as Tennessee's defensive line coach, Eason's units played a central role on Titans defenses that ranked among the best in the NFL against the run. Tennessee's defensive line was led by star DT Jurrell Casey, who in his two seasons under Eason totaled 11 sacks, 37 QB hits and earned two Pro Bowl nominations.

In 2017, Tennessee's defensive line ranked fourth in the NFL against the run, allowing an average of just 88.8 yards per game. In 2016, Eason's first as defensive line coach, the Titans allowed just 88.3 rushing yards per game, and their No. 2 league rank against the run was the team's highest in 14 seasons.

In 2015, Eason helped guide Casey to a team-high seven sacks, 28 QB pressures and his first-career Pro Bowl invite. Eason also aided in the development of DE DaQuan Jones and NT Al Woods, who both emerged as quality starters and matched or bettered their career-best numbers in all categories.

In 2014, Eason's first as a full-time NFL coach, he helped oversee Tennessee's defensive transition from a 4-3 to a 3-4 front. He also helped Casey continue his ascent into one of the NFL's best interior defensive linemen, as he posted 86 tackles, including 13 for losses, and 27 QB pressures. Eason also guided NT Sammie Hill to career-highs in tackles (47), sacks (3.0), tackles for losses (seven) and QB pressures (8).

Eason's first coaching assignment after his playing days came in 2013, when he was an intern coach with the Cleveland Browns.

As a player, Eason saw action in 117 games over 10 seasons (2003-12) with the Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals. He finished his playing career with the Cardinals, where he spent two seasons (2011-12), appeared in 32 games and registered two sacks. Prior to his time with Arizona, Eason spent four seasons (2007-10) with the Steelers and helped the team to two Super Bowl appearances, including a victory in Super Bowl XLIII in the '08 season. He was a teammate in Pittsburgh with former Auburn standout and current staffer, Kendall Simmons.

Eason was originally a fourth-round selection by the Denver Broncos in the 2003 NFL Draft, but he spent his rookie season on Reserve/Injured after suffering an Achilles injury during training camp. The following season, Eason reemerged on the Broncos' active roster before being waived and signed by the Browns, with whom he played for three seasons (2004-06).