Clemson hires former player away from Auburn to be new defensive line coach

One of Clemson’s own is coming home, as the Tigers revamp their staff after the departure of multiple assistants. 

Former Clemson defensive end Nick Eason is likely to make the move from Auburn back to his alma mater, per Matt Zenitz of On3. He would serve as the defensive line coach under recently promoted Wes Goodwin, who took over for Brent Venables when he left to take the head coaching position at Oklahoma. Eason would replace Todd Bates, who followed Venables to Norman.

With Eason’s help, Auburn had one of the better defenses in the SEC this year. They allowed 22.2 points per game and accumulated 35 sacks. Auburn’s defense held Alabama scoreless for more than three quarters of the Iron Bowl, and they kept a typically high-powered Ole Miss squad in check, beating them 31-20. Defensive lineman Derick Hall earned second-team all-SEC honors and was third in the conference in sacks.

The 41-year-old coach has spent time at multiple teams at both the college and professional levels. After retiring from football, he was an assistant for the Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans and Cincinnati Bengals before returning to the college ranks at Auburn this year.

Eason was drafted in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos, and he spent time with the Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals. He was Clemson’s defensive MVP in 2000, a first-team All-ACC defensive end in 2002 and won a Super Bowl with the Steelers in 2009. A standout on the field and in the classroom, Eason graduated from Clemson with two years of eligibility remaining, and he was the first Clemson player complete his degree after just two seasons of college football.

Clemson looks to continue defensive dominance in 2022

Clemson has become synonymous with defense in recent years, as Venables elected to stick around despite numerous coaching opportunities every season.

With the exception of 2020 when Notre Dame spent one year in the ACC and had the best scoring defense, Clemson has led the conference in points allowed every year since 2016. This year, the Tigers gave up 15 points per contest, which was second nationally, and they ranked eighth in the nation in total defense.

In other words, Goodwin, Eason and Co. have a very solid foundation with which to work this offseason.