Dabo Swinney uses Eric Mac Lain to explain how Wes Goodwin can improve in Year 2 as DC

The focus on Dabo Swinney’s staff at Clemson has more so been set on offense with new offensive coordinator Garrett Riley. Even so, the Tiger’s head coach knows that he has just as much of an impactful coordinator in Wes Goodwin as his DC.

Swinney praised Goodwin while interviewing on the ACC Network at the 2023 ACC Football Kickoff. He said he’s already going to get better just based on the fact that he’s going from his first season to his second and pointed to Eric Mac Lain, one of his former Tigers who is still early in his broadcast career, as a reference of that.

From there, Swinney added that Goodwin also has all the right intangibles to improve on his own while he has the rest of the unit, players and coaches, bought into him as their leader as well.

“You get better, right? You get better. It’s like being a head coach. You don’t know,” Swinney explained. “You think you know. But do you have the aptitude? Do you have the skills? Do you have the work ethic?

“You get better if you’re made of the right stuff. Wes is made of the right stuff. The kids love him. They love Wes. He’s really smart. We have a great staff and there’s a lot of synergy.”

Clemson’s defense finished 22nd in the country last fall by allowing just 20.9 points per game. They were also a top-rush defense again by allowing just barely over 100 rush yards per game and just over three yards per carry. Finally, the Tigers got after the quarterback again with 44 sacks, which was tied for fourth in the nation and was the program’s ninth consecutive year of reaching 40 or more.

In the end, you can say what you wish about Goodwin from the outside looking in. As someone who works alongside him, though, Swinney realizes just how bright his future is in the profession.

“He might not look the part that some people want him to look. But he’s a bad dude man,” said Swinney. “Wes Goodwin is going to be awesome. He’s going to coach for a long time.

“Wes has really grown a lot in this year and good things are coming for him.”

Goodwin evaluates his growth over his first year as defensive coordinator

Clemson DC Wes Goodwin had a successful first run in his position of coaching a side of the football that means so much to the program. That’s because, over the course of that season, he continued to learn tricks of the trade to reach the point today where he says he feels incredibly comfortable heading into his second season with the headset.

Goodwin spoke with the media this week about his growth as a coordinator during last season. He said that he quickly learned that the job was a grind but that, because it was, it quickly reaped the rewards of personal development in his job on Clemson’s staff.

“You look back and evaluate everything. This position? It grinds you up from numerous different ways,” said Goodwin. “Just from being a husband and father at home, dealing with all the stresses that come with being in this position.

“And then just looking back? I’ve grown as a teacher. Teaching our scheme and relating to the players, what it takes every day to prepare my guys to perform at a high level. And then just overall defensively. Just adjustment wise, how to handle things in game,” Goodwin continued. “What a game week week looks like for me? I’m very comfortable in that process now. And just, from a practice standpoint, how to drill fundamental football. I’ve grown tremendously in that aspect as well.”

Goodwin hopes to build off that success into even more of it in his second season. He’s confident that it will happen too considering how much advancement he has seen from himself within the job.

“I’m super excited for year two and feel really confident in where I’m at personally,” Goodwin said.