Clemson BOT set to meet to discuss ‘Football Assistant Coaches Contracts’

Clemson’s Board of Trustees will meet next week to discuss contracts for Clemson football assistant coaches contracts.

Clemson’s Board of Trustees will meet on Monday to discuss “Football Assistant Coaches Contracts,” according to an agenda Clemson published on Saturday.

The board’s Compensation Committee and athletic director Graham Neff will discuss the matter at 9 a.m. ET on Monday, the agenda states.

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney is looking for new offensive line and defensive ends assistant coaches after he parted ways with Thomas Austin and Lemanski Hall earlier this week.

Former Ole Miss head coach Matt Luke was on Clemson’s campus on Friday interviewing for the offensive line coach position, as reported by The Clemson Insider. Luke was most recently the offensive line and associate head coach at Georgia for the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

As for the defensive ends assistant coach, time will tell who emerges as the lead candidate.

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Clemson Offensive Line Coach target on campus Friday, per reports

According to reports, Clemson has been linked to a big-time O-Line coach, who has been spotted in Clemson.

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson football program have been linked to a big time offensive line coach since parting ways with Thomas Austin and according to reports from our friends over at the Clemson Insider, that coach has been spotted on campus.

According to TCI’s reports,  former Ole Miss head coach Matt Luke was on campus Friday in Clemson interviewing for the position. Luke took a tour of the Clemson facilities while in town and it looks like the Tigers have honed in on him being their next O-Line coach.

Luke’s most recent work came with Georgia as their offensive line coach and associate head coach from 2020-2021. Before that, Luke spent three seasons as the head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels.

Luke is as experienced as they come, with the 47-year-old spending time with Ole Miss, Georgia, Duke, Tennessee, and Murray State. We will monitor this situation closely as Swinney looks to solidify the Clemson football staff.

Former Ole Miss head coach and Georgia assistant a candidate for Clemson’s O-Line coach, per reports

Rumors are swirling around this coach being the Tigers’ next O-Line coach.

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson football program are looking for a new offensive line coach following parting ways with Thomas Austin, and rumors have been swirling around a top-tier coach taking the position.

According to reports from our friends over at the Clemson Insider, former Ole Miss head coach Matt Luke is a candidate for the job. The Tigers are looking for experience at the position, making Luke an attractive option for the program.

Luke’s most recent work came with Georgia as their offensive line coach and associate head coach from 2020-2021. Before that, Luke spent three seasons as the head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels.

Luke is as experienced as they come, with the 47-year-old spending time with Ole Miss, Georgia, Duke, Tennessee, and Murray State. We will monitor this situation closely as Swinney looks to solidify the Clemson football staff.

Dabo Swinney shows he’s willing to do what it takes to get Clemson back to the top

Dabo Swinney is starting to do what he has to do to put Clemson in the best situation to succeed.

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney has been one of the most questioned head coaches in college football over the past couple of seasons for his seeming unwillingness to adapt or change with the times.

According to reports, Swinney let everyone during Clemson’s team meeting on Monday that they will be evaluated on whether they are doing what it takes to live up to the standards that have allowed Clemson to become one of the top programs in the country. This hinted at changes, and it is changes we have seen.

With four players entering the transfer portal and the program now parting ways with two coaches, offensive line coach Thomas Austin and defensive ends coach Lemanski Hall, changes have come. Swinney has now let go of three staff members he was close to within two seasons after a decade of not letting any of his coaches go.

“Today, I made the difficult decision to seek new leadership for the offensive line,” Swinney said. “It is my responsibility as head coach to make difficult decisions that I believe are in the best interest of our football program and the young men that comprise it. After a few days of deep thought and evaluation, I believe this was a change we needed to make.

“I love Thomas and his entire family, and Thomas has been a great representative of Clemson University and Clemson Football in every role — as a player, as a support staff member, and as a coach. On the field, he was one of the best Tigers we’ve had, and his role as a captain and as a great leader is immortalized in concrete at Tiger Walk outside Memorial Stadium. I know God has a great plan for his future.”

For Lemaski Hall, it seems the two long-time friends came to an agreement that the Tigers needed a new coach for the defensive ends.

“Lemanski Hall and I met and had a great conversation about his future and long-term goals both personally and professionally, and after great thought and discussion, we came to a mutual decision for him to seek opportunities to advance his career elsewhere,” Swinney said.

Swinney is making serious changes for the betterment of the program. While it hurts to see some of these faces go, it is important for the program’s future that Swinney makes the moves he deems necessary.

Clemson football announces staff changes

Clemson football has announced some staff changes.

CLEMSON, S.C. — Head Coach Dabo Swinney announced today that Lemanski Hall and Thomas Austin will not return to Clemson’s coaching staff in 2024. Full statements on the personnel changes effective this week are included below.

STATEMENT FROM DABO SWINNEY ON LEMANSKI HALL:
“Lemanski Hall and I met and had a great conversation about his future and long-term goals both personally and professionally, and after great thought and discussion, we came to a mutual decision for him to seek opportunities to advance his career elsewhere.

“I am so thankful for Ski and his wife, Leslie, and their family. Lemanski and I have been almost lifelong friends back to 1989 and he is someone I love like a brother. I’m appreciative and thankful for the impact he has had here at Clemson.

“Since joining our program as an analyst in 2015, he has been part of six College Football Playoff teams, seven ACC title teams, four national championship game appearances and two national titles. Since becoming an on-field coach in 2018, he has coached and recruited great players like Clelin Ferrell, Austin Bryant, Myles Murphy and so many others, and I am proud of the work he did in developing potential Freshman All-American T.J. Parker this year.

“I am grateful for both his impact here and for his friendship, and I wish him nothing but the best with his next endeavor.”

STATEMENT FROM LEMANSKI HALL:
“I am so grateful and thankful for the opportunity that Clemson has given me over the past nine years.

“Clemson has been so good to me and my family, and my wife and I want to thank the entire Clemson Family for being such a blessing in our lives. I also want to especially thank Coach Swinney and his wife, Kathleen, for welcoming us the way they have for almost a decade. I similarly want to thank Graham Neff, President Clements and the Board of Trustees for their faith in me representing this university for so many years.

“I am incredibly proud of what we have been able to accomplish here. I am so thankful for all of the young men that have been in our program, and I hope I’ve been able to impact them as positively as they have impacted me. I am excited to see what God has in store for me and my family moving forward.”

STATEMENT FROM DABO SWINNEY ON THOMAS AUSTIN:
“Today, I made the difficult decision to seek new leadership for the offensive line. It is my responsibility as head coach to make difficult decisions that I believe are in the best interest of our football program and the young men that comprise it. After a few days of deep thought and evaluation, I believe this was a change we needed to make.

“I love Thomas and his entire family, and Thomas has been a great representative of Clemson University and Clemson Football in every role — as a player, as a support staff member and as a coach. On the field, he was one of the best Tigers we’ve had, and his role as a captain and as a great leader is immortalized in concrete at Tiger Walk outside Memorial Stadium. I know God has a great plan for his future.

“I’m incredibly excited about our group of offensive linemen which could have seven players who have started significant time for us, and I look forward to seeing them continue their growth.”

– Via Clemson Athletic Communications

Clemson parts ways with offensive line coach Thomas Austin

Assistant coach Thomas Austin will not be with the Tigers in 2024.

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson football program have announced some key staff moves.

The team announced Thursday that offensive line coach Thomas Austin will not be with the Tigers in 2024. According to reports, Austin has been fired after spending two seasons as Clemson’s offensive line coach. He was officially named the offensive line coach on Feb. 2, 2022.

A former Tiger, Austin started 39 games for the Tigers from 2006-09. He played 2,501 snaps from scrimmage in his Clemson career, the 13th-most of any player at the time of his graduation. The 2023 season was his seventh season as a member of the Clemson coaching staff and his second stint with the Tigers.

We wish Austin the best in what’s next for his coaching career.

Swinney gives update on RG competition

A true freshman and a senior are competing to start at right guard for the Tigers this weekend.

Clemson’s starting right guard position remains a two-man race between true freshman Harris Sewell and senior Mitchell Mayes, head coach Dabo Swinney confirmed on Tuesday.

Speaking to the media, Dabo Swinney said that Sewell and Mayes are still competing to run out with the first-team offense.

“They’ll both play. I don’t see a situation where they don’t both play,” Swinney said of Sewell and Mayes. “We’ll see who runs out there first.  They’ve got a long week ahead from a practice standpoint, but
excited about what Mitchell’s done. He didn’t play his best game a couple games ago, but Harris got a lot opportunity and, in the last game, took advantage of it. He did a great job, and we’re really excited about him and our OL in general and what we have the opportunity to produce there over these next couple of years.”

The Tigers have rotated Sewell and Mayes at the starting right guard spot over the last several games. Sewell, a true freshman, played 62 snaps in the Tigers’ last game against Wake Forest. Mayes, on the other hand, played eight snaps versus the Demon Deacons. While Sewell played far more snaps in Week 6, Mayes is still listed as the starter on the unofficial depth chart for Saturday’s game against Miami.

An opening was created at the right guard spot when Swinney declared Walker Parks out for the season with a lower-body injury, calling Parks’ injury “a huge loss” for his team. Parks started in all of the 13 games he appeared in during the 2022 season and was one of the most experienced linemen on Clemson’s roster.

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Swinney dishes on LT competition, a standout redshirt sophomore

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney touched on the LT competition, and had high praise for the current favorite to start in September.

Heading into fall camp, the one position along Clemson’s offensive line that had questions surrounding it was left tackle. Now nearly a week into fall camp, there is some clarity.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, head coach Dabo Swinney discussed Clemson’s left tackle competition and had high praise for redshirt sophomore Tristan Leigh, who has been starting in fall camp.

“I’ve been pretty pleased,” Swinney said of the left tackle competition. “We’re trying to create some competition there. I think Tristan has really held up well. You’ve heard me brag on him a bunch; I love everything about Tristan Leigh. He’s not perfect, but here’s what I love about him: there’s nobody that cares more than that guy. And if he makes a mistake, he usually doesn’t make it again.”

Standing at 6-foot-6 and 317 pounds, Leigh played 50 snaps last season as a reserve after playing only 20 as a true freshman.

Swinney’s comments on Wednesday come after offensive line coach Thomas Austin said in July that Leigh “pulled away a little bit” since the end of last season.

Right behind Leigh is redshirt freshman Collin Sadler, who played 23 snaps last season.

Sadler, a former four-star recruit, has also shined in camp thus far, according to Swinney.

“Really pleased with Collin Sadler,” Swinney said. “I’m super excited. It kind of worked out where he would’ve ended up playing last year, but he ended up getting hurt and was out… I’ll tell you what, man, him and Blake Miller in that group, that was two really good ones.”

The Tigers are in need of a new starting left tackle after Jordan McFadden departed for the NFL following the 2022 season.

Ultimately, Clemson will run out with the best starting five on the offensive line when the Tigers kick off their regular season against Duke on Sept. 4.

“We’ve tried to create as much tackle depth as we can,” Swinney added. “We feel good about where we are inside and all of the versatility. But we want to create three to five guys that we feel good about that can go play tackle for us.”

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Swinney and Austin discuss Clemson’s left tackle competition

Clemson will have a new starting left tackle this season after Jordan McFadden departed for the NFL.

Clemson’s coaches aren’t committing to a starter at left tackle heading into fall camp.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, head coach Dabo Swinney gave no firm timeline on when the team will announce a starting left tackle.

“I hope we have a long time before we decide because I hope it’s that competitive; I think it’s going to be,” Swinney said.

While Swinney didn’t assure any one specific player will start, he expressed his confidence in a redshirt sophomore to block Cade Klubnik’s blindside.

“If you told me Tristan Leigh was going to start for us at left tackle right now, I’m sleeping just fine. I got no problem with that,” Swinney said. “That guy, he’s a winner, and he cares. It’s amazing the transformation that has happened in him.”

As a true freshman in 2021, Leigh played 20 snaps while redshirting. Standing at 6-foot-6 and 315 pounds, he played 50 snaps last season as a reserve.

Clemson offensive line coach Thomas Austin was also non-committal and said the team could play multiple players early on in the year. But Austin did say that Leigh “pulled away a little bit” since the end of last season and has a slight advantage over redshirt freshman Collin Sadler.

“Nothin Collin didn’t do well; it’s just Tristan had a really good spring,” Austin said. “Those guys both have different skill sets and bring different things to the table.”

Jordan McFadden was the Tigers’ starting left tackle for the past two seasons before he left for the NFL.

Now, Clemson needs to find his replacement. And, ultimately, it will come down to who the best five is, Swinney said, even if that means shifting some of last year’s starters around to different spots.

“There are so many scenarios that could play out,” Swinney added. “But I will say this, regardless of how it all shakes as far as who will run out there Labor Day night, as far as the first five, I think this will be a year so different from years past. I think you’ll see us play probably 10 guys a game, minimum.”

If Clemson stays the course from last season, Marcus Tate will start at left guard, Will Putnam will start at center, Walker Parks will start at right guard and Blake Miller will start at right tackle.

At that point, the Tigers would just need to determine who runs out with the first team at the left tackle position.

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Latest Clemson visit made local OL target feel like ‘a priority’

Clemson once again played host to a top local offensive line target this week. Greenville (S.C.) High School four-star Blake Franks returned to Tiger Town on Tuesday. It marked Franks’ third visit to Clemson since the start of last month. The …

Clemson once again played host to a top local offensive line target this week.

Greenville (S.C.) High School four-star Blake Franks returned to Tiger Town on Tuesday.

It marked Franks’ third visit to Clemson since the start of last month. The 6-foot-5, 310-pound junior in the class of 2024 also made his way to campus for the Syracuse game on Oct. 22 after attending the NC State game on Oct. 1 — his first time witnessing a game at Death Valley in person.

The Clemson Insider caught up with Franks after his latest experience at Clemson this week.

“It was good,” Franks said of the visit. “I really enjoyed being able to talk to the staff one on one. It made me feel like I was a priority.”

During Tuesday’s visit, Franks spent the majority of his time with offensive line coach Thomas Austin but also had the chance to talk with head man Dabo Swinney as well as senior director of recruiting Jordan Sorrells.

“I heard overall their value on faith, family, friends, me as an athlete, and the development I would get there,” Franks said of what he heard from the coaches.

Franks, who received an offer from the Tigers in late July, made the visit with his mother.

“She said she really enjoyed the campus and the staff,” he said.

The overall best part of the visit for Franks personally was being able to take a full campus tour and get a feel for what it’s really like to be a Tiger.

“Just getting to see the campus for the first time and experience the true life of a Clemson Tiger,” he explained.

Franks released a top eight last month featuring Clemson along with South Carolina, Florida, Ole Miss, North Carolina, Miami, Alabama and Florida State.

Where do the Tigers stand with him right now after his latest trip to campus?

“I think they’re a possible top three in my opinion,” he said.

Franks has also been to each of the other schools in his top eight this season.

He’ll be back in Tiger Town for his third gameday visit to Clemson later this month.

“I only have one more visit planned and that’s to Clemson vs. South Carolina (on Nov. 26),” he said, “but I also might go back to South Carolina for the Tennessee game (on Nov. 19).”

Franks said he is hoping to make his college decision in December.

He is rated as a four-star prospect by Rivals, which considers him the No. 4 prospect in the Palmetto State, No. 8 offensive guard nationally and No. 250 overall prospect in the country for the 2024 class.

Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce a limited edition football and poster signed by Clemson’s Avengers.

Now there is a new way you can support Clemson student-athletes. Purchase collectibles from Dear Old Clemson and the proceeds with go to support Clemson student-athletes. Visit Dear Old Clemson to find out how you can help!