Dabo Swinney makes statement on firing Clemson football DC

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The Clemson football team is moving on from defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin as the Tigers announced the staff change on Monday morning. Goodwin will not be returning to Clemson in 2025. The Tigers were known for their bruising defense during their dynasty days, but they have not been able to replicate it since Dabo Swinney left to take the Oklahoma job. Now, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney will have a coaching search this offseason.

Dabo Swinney released a statement on the decision on Monday. He thanked Wes Goodwin for everything that he did for the Clemson football team. Goodwin has been with the Tigers for quite a while, so this wasn’t an easy decision.

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

Now, Swinney and Clemson want to fill this position as soon as possible. The longer they wait, the more candidates there will be off the table. Swinney plans on starting the interview process quickly.

“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,” Swinney said. “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.”

Wes Goodwin started his coaching career at Mississippi State in 2005, and he joined the Clemson football team in 2009. Goodwin was with the Tigers until 2009 before taking a job in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals. Goodwin returned to the Tigers in 2018 as a senior defensive analyst, and he became the defensive coordinator in 2022. Now, Goodwin is back on the job market, and he has a lot of coaching experience.

This season was a solid one for Clemson as they captured the ACC title and they made the College Football Playoff. However, it was clear this Tigers team was not as good as past playoff Clemson teams, but it is easier to make the CFP with the expansion and auto bids. There is still a lot of work to be done if they want to get back to where they were during the dynasty years, and Dabo Swinney knows that as he is making changes to his staff.

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