CLEMSON, S.C. — In what has been expected, Clemson has officially parted ways with defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin who had been in that position for the past three seasons.
Head coach Dabo Swinney and Goodwin met Sunday evening where he informed Goodwin of the decision.
“After meeting with Coach Goodwin on Sunday evening, I have decided to make a change at our defensive coordinator position," Swinney said in a 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.
“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.”
A former graduate assistant at Clemson, Goodwin had worked his way up from analyst to senior defensive assistant when Swinney tabbed him to replace Brent Venables. Goodwin had no formal playcalling experience but with 13 of the past 16 years spent on the Clemson staff, Swinney felt Goodwin was ready for the role of defensive coordinator.
In his first two seasons, Goodwin guided a defense that was more than effective and a year ago, he received a contract extension and a $550,000 raise, increasing his compensation from $850,000 to $1.4 million.
But this year, the defense had major issues when it came to stopping the run. In rushing yards allowed per game, Clemson currently ranks 85th nationally (161), which is down from 24th (114) in 2023 and 13th (102.7) in 2022.
The Citadel gained 288 yards on the ground in Clemson's 51-14 win in November.
Against Texas, the Tigers allowed 292 yards and four touchdowns on the ground in a 38-24 loss to the Longhorns. It was after that playoff loss in Austin that speculation heated up that Goodwin was not long for the job and the day before Clemson coaches were scheduled to return to the office, Swinney made the first of what could be multiple changes on his coaching staff,
