Following the university’s approval of Nick Eason’s contract at Clemson on Friday, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney chimed in on adding the former Clemson standout to his coaching staff.
“I am super, super excited to welcome Nick Eason back to Clemson,” Swinney said in a statement. “Unfortunately, I didn’t have the opportunity to know him when he was a player here. He was before me, but I vividly remember meeting him when I first got here in the spring of 2003. He was training for the NFL Draft. He had just finished his last season (at Clemson). I remember meeting him, and I was struck immediately with his presence, how he carried himself and how he was respected by all.
“And then obviously being here now 19 years, I’ve had many opportunities to be around him and get to know him and follow him. He’s a guy that I’ve followed for many years and a guy that I’ve had my eye on for our staff for many years. I just hadn’t had the right opportunity with the right timing to hire him, but, man, as we always say, everything is always on God’s timing. This was the right time for us at Clemson and also for Nick.”
Swinney continued with his exact reasoning for targeting Eason, who has 17 years of NFL experience as a player and coach and spent this season as the defensive line coach at Auburn.
“Nick is the epitome of what I look for in a coach,” Swinney said. “He has an incredible passion for the game, he has got a great background, and he truly loves the player. In this hire, I really wanted a guy who had great experience at the NFL level. I wanted somebody who has coached the best of the best at the highest level, and that’s exactly what he’s done. He was a great player at Clemson, and he’s a great Clemson man.
“Not only was he a great player at Clemson, but he was a great pro. He was incredibly respected all throughout his career as a player and coach. He’s coached the best of the best, he’s a Super Bowl champion, but I love his passion for coaching and teaching young people. He’s been drawn to the college level by the impact he can have on a young person’s life, and he just really fits and aligns with our values here at Clemson. It’s just an added bonus that he happened to be a great player here at Clemson.”
Swinney also thanked Todd Bates, whom Eason is replacing. Bates spent five seasons coaching Clemson’s defensive tackles and was recently promoted to assistant head coach before leaving to join Brent Venables’ staff at Oklahoma earlier this week.
“I am excited for his new opportunity with Brent at Oklahoma,” Swinney said.
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