Wes Goodwin and Nick Eason earn raises, among the top-paid assistant coaches in college football

Clemson coaching staff contracts have been released, with Goodwin and Eason earning raises.

The Clemson football program has made some adjustments to their coaching staff contracts and salaries, with Clemson University’s Board of Trustees Compensation Committee approving these moves recently.

One of the biggest changes we’ve seen comes for defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin, who was granted a $550,000 salary increase, boosting his annual earnings from $850,000 to $1.4 million. A huge jump for the defensive coordinator after an excellent defensive season.

Another coach getting a big raise is defensive ends coach Nick Eason. Earning a $300,000 raise, Eason is now up to 1.1 million for the upcoming season. Check out all of Clemson’s changes below.

Clemson Football Coaches Compensation:

Approval of contractual changes for Football Staff:

  • Wesley Goodwin, Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
  • Term: Add 1 year through 1/31/2027
  • Total compensation: increase from $850,000 to $1,400,000
  • Buyout: Full guarantee with mitigation
  • Bonus: standard bonus structure

 

  • Nick Eason, Defensive Run Game Coordinator/Defensive Tackles
  • Term: Add 1 year through 1/31/2027
  • Total compensation: increase from $800,000 to $1,100,000
  • Buyout: Full guarantee with mitigation
  • Bonus: standard bonus structure

 

  • Mike Reed, Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator/Cornerbacks
  • Term: Add 1 year through 1/31/2027
  • Total compensation: increase from $800,000 to $900,000
  • Buyout: Full guarantee with mitigation
  • Bonus: standard bonus structure

 

  • Mickey Conn, Co-Defensive Coordinator/Safeties
  • Term: Add 1 year through 1/31/2027
  • Total compensation: increase from $800,000 to $900,000
  • Buyout: Full guarantee with mitigation
  • Bonus: standard bonus structure

 

  • Garrett Riley, Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
  • Term: Add 1 year through 1/31/2027
  • Total compensation: no change
  • Buyout: Full guarantee with mitigation
  • Bonus: standard bonus structure

 

  • Kyle Richardson, Passing Game Coordinator/Tight Ends
  • Term: Add 1 year through 1/31/2026
  • Total compensation: increase from $500,000 to $600,000
  • Buyout: Full guarantee with mitigation
  • Bonus: standard bonus structure

 

  • Tyler Grisham, Recruiting Coordinator/Wide Receivers Coach
  • Term: Add 1 year through 1/31/2026
  • Total compensation: increase from $450,000 to $550,000
  • Buyout: Full guarantee with mitigation
  • Bonus: standard bonus structure

 

  • CJ Spiller, Running Backs Coach
  • Term: Add 1 year through 1/31/2026
  • Total compensation: increase from $450,000 to $550,000
  • Buyout: Full guarantee with mitigation
  • Bonus: standard bonus structure

 

  • Joey Batson, Director of Football Strength & Conditioning
  • Term: Add 1 year through 1/31/2027
  • Total compensation: no change
  • Buyout: Full guarantee with mitigation
  • Bonus: standard bonus structure

 

  • Robbie Caldwell, Director of High School Relations & Player Development
  • Term: Add 1 year through 1/31/2026
  • Total compensation: no change
  • Buyout: Full guarantee with mitigation
  • Bonus: standard bonus structure

 

  • Jeff Davis, Director of Football Player Relations/External Affairs
  • Term: Add 1 year through 1/31/2026
  • Total compensation: no change
  • Buyout: Full guarantee with mitigation
  • Bonus: standard bonus structure

 

  • Mike Dooley, Associate Athletic Director/Football Administration
  • Term: Add 1 year through 1/31/2026
  • Total compensation: no change
  • Buyout: Full guarantee with mitigation
  • Bonus: standard bonus structure

 

  • DJ Gordon, Director of Football Operations/Creative Media
  • Term: Add 1 year through 1/31/2026
  • Total compensation: increase from $250,000 to $270,000
  • Buyout: Full guarantee with mitigation
  • Bonus: standard bonus structure

 

  • Woody McCorvey, Chief of Staff
  • Term: Add 1 year through 1/31/2026
  • Total compensation: no change
  • Buyout: Full guarantee with mitigation
  • Bonus: standard bonus structure

 

  • Danny Pearman, Director of Football Scouting
  • Term: Add 1 year through 1/31/2026
  • Total compensation: no change
  • Buyout: Full guarantee with mitigation
  • Bonus: standard bonus structure

 

  • Jordan Sorrells, Senior Director of Football Recruiting
  • Term: Add 1 year through 1/31/2026
  • Total compensation: no change
  • Buyout: Full guarantee with mitigation
  • Bonus: standard bonus structure

Wes Goodwin on Barrett Carter returning for another season at Clemson

Wes Goodwin is thrilled to have Barrett Carter back with the Tigers for one more season.

The Clemson football program has benefited tremendously from players opting to return to the program rather than take the next step and head to the NFL.

The most recent player to opt for a return rather than depart for the NFL is linebacker Barrett Carter, which was massive news for the Tigers. A possible first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Carter returns as one of the best defensive players in college football.

Of all the people thrilled with Carter’s decision, one was defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin, who got a player back for 2024 who would anchor their defense.

“With him coming back, it creates a lot of depth at a position of need. He is the older veteran of the group now,” Goodwin said. “Him as a person, he is an unbelievable leader. He shows up with the right mindset every day and is an extremely hard worker.

“I am excited to have him back for one more year.”

Clemson’s defense will be one of the best in the country once again in 2024, with Carter leading the way.

Clemson offensive coordinator Garrett Riley is the highest paid assistant coach in college football

Clemson offensive coordinator Garrett Riley is the highest-paid assistant in the country.

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson football program made a huge splash this offseason, bringing in 2022 Broyles Award winner Garrett Riley as Clemson’s new offensive coordinator, and it did not come cheap. 

USA TODAY Sports recently revealed college football’s assistant coach salary database, with Riley sitting No.1, making $2.05 million this year. He is just one of two coaches making $2 million more, with Washington offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb making $2 million this season as the No.2 highest-paid assistant. 

Riley is far and away the top-paid Clemson assistant, with defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin making $850,000, Nick Eason $800,000, Mike Reed $800,000, Mickey Conn $800,000, Lemanski Hall $625,000, Kyle Richardson $500,000, Thomas Austin $450,000, C.J. Spiller $450,000 and Tyler Grisham $450,000. I’m sure this comes as a surprise to no one: Clemson coaches get paid well.

It may be time to move on from writing and get into coaching!

Five takeaways from Clemson’s meltdown double overtime loss to Miami

Here are five takeaways from Clemson’s eye-opening double overtime loss to Miami.

Dabo Swinney and the Tigers fell 28-20 on the road to Miami in a double overtime loss where Clemson continued their trend in the wrong direction

Heading into this 2023 season, expectations were sky-high for this Clemson team. Just over halfway through the season, things have felt more like a nightmare than anything. Getting outscored 21-3 in the fourth quarter, this loss was as bad as they come for a program like Clemson.

There was a lot to process from this performance as, for the first time this season, it was both Clemson’s offense and defense that were underwhelming. Things just aren’t clicking for the Tigers this season. 

Here are five takeaways from Clemson’s meltdown double overtime loss to Miami in Week 8.

Grading Clemson’s defense at the halfway point of the season

Clemson’s defense has been near elite this season, grading out well.

Defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin and the Clemson defense have had a near-elite start to this 2023 season, with the unit looking like one of the best in the country through six games.

Clemson (4-2, 2-2 ACC) has had an up-and-down season, and two losses were not expected out of this team in the first half of the season. Even so, this Clemson defense has been this team’s most impressive and consistent part.

From veteran stars playing at a high level to freshmen bursting onto the scene and making a name for themselves, this unit has had some excellent performances. It is yet another top-tier defense from this program.

Here is a grade for each part of Clemson’s defense at the halfway point of this season.

Goodwin says Parker is ‘well beyond his years’

True freshman defensive end T.J. Parker leads Clemson in sacks and is fifth in total tackles.

Coming into the 2023 season, all eyes were on five-star defensive tackle Peter Woods to be the standout player in the Tigers’ 2023 recruiting class. And while Woods has played well, another true freshman has emerged as a difference maker for the Tigers on the defensive line.

Through six games, defensive end T.J. Parker leads Clemson in sacks with four and has the fifth most total tackles on the team with 19.

While Parker is just a true freshman and isn’t technically a starter, he has cemented himself among the Tigers’ best pass rushers, earning praise from defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin on Monday.

“You knew early on, even in January coming in, that he was kind of well beyond his years as far as football, understanding his technique and just his work ethic,” Goodwin said of Parker. “Just the type of young man that he is, really high character, great family, all of the above. But every week, he seems to get better and better and better.”

Parker had the best game of his young career against Syracuse in Week 5 when he had five tackles and two sacks. The performance earned him ACC Player of the Week honors, and he joined Myles Murphy, Dexter Lawrence and Corico Wright as the only Clemson freshmen in the Dabo Swinney era to record two sacks in a single game.

“He still needs to clean up some alignment issues and doing some small things better. But for the most part, he’s been really productive,” Goodwin added. “Heavy-handed, providing some good pass rush force up front and just brings great energy and demeanor, as well, on game day. He really understands how offenses attack. I’m super excited about the second half, seeing where he continues to improve and grow.”

A four-star recruit coming out of high school, Parker has been playing behind Xavier Thomas and Justin Mascoll. That said, his youth and inexperience haven’t stopped him from seeing significant snaps.

Mascoll had high praise for Parker when speaking to the media on Sept. 26, saying that Parker is much further along than where he was as a freshman.

“He’s just a hard worker, and he competes every day,” Mascoll said. “He definitely pushes me and XT every day to be better, and I just appreciate him so much. He’s kind of he’s come a long way. I mean, he came in the spring, but he’s made a major stride in his game as far as being a great pass rusher and playing the run well. And just his knowledge of the game was growing. You could just tell he knows a lot of football.”

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Clemson Defense has to set the tone early against FSU Offense

Clemson’s defensive coordinator, Wes Goodwin, has enough film to build a solid game plan to stifle Florida State’s offense. 

Not many people expected Clemson to come into this week four matchup against Florida State Seminoles as the underdog.

But both teams had season-defining moments in week one; FSU defeated LSU in a rout, and Clemson upset loss to Duke. Three weeks later, the Tigers had more momentum than the Seminoles, who barely escaped Boston College.

Clemson’s defensive coordinator, Wes Goodwin, has enough film to build a solid game plan to stifle Florida State’s offense.

Something common in Florida State’s three wins is they start slow. In week one, they struggled in the first half before scoring 31 points in the second half. Last week, they struggled to build a 17-10 lead going into halftime.

Florida State’s offense currently averages 47 points a game, led by Jordan Travis. Stopping an offense with this much scoring ability can catch flame at any time.

Finding the weak spot is tricky.

The running game is wide-open, with multiple backs that can gash a defense, and Travis spreads the ball around in the passing game.

So where should Goodwin attack one of the most balanced offenses in the country?

It’s not a specific area Goodwin should focus on. Instead, the Clemson defense has to get on top of the Noles early. Make this offense uncomfortable from the opening kickoff.

If you go back to last season’s game, the Tigers held the Noles to 14 points in the first half. Desperation and home-field energy helped the Noles put up 14 points in the fourth quarter, but it was too late.

The offense has been the focal point for the season, but a victory against the Noles will come from a great performance by the defense, who’s been lights out so far this season.

Woods dishes on transition to Clemson, learning from veterans

Two veteran Clemson DTs have taken freshman Peter Woods under their wing.

Clemson’s coaches have raved about Peter Woods’ potential, but the true freshman defensive tackle is still soaking up everything he can from those around him.

Speaking to the media on Saturday for the first time since joining the Clemson program, Woods discussed how his first several months with the team went.

He said Tyler Davis and Ruke Orhorhoro, both of whom are returning for their fifth seasons, are the two players in the defensive tackles room who have been taking Woods under their wing the most.

“I can’t even say how much I’ve learned from them,” Woods said. “Their effort at just trying to bring me along, being the young guy, and teaching me things that even they might have learned even later in their careers, speaks so much about their humility. I see them as my big brothers, and I just appreciate them.”

In Clemson’s spring game, Woods ran out with the first-team defense and finished with a team-high seven total tackles (one for loss) and a sack.

With his athleticism and 6-foot-2, 300-pound frame, Woods isn’t afraid to cross-train and play on the edge.

“I love my versatility; that’s something I pride myself in. I feel like I can play any position across the line, so why not do it? Given this talent that we have in this room, it might be convenient, or it might not, depending on how I perform overall and just how everything feels,” Woods said.

As far as how the Alabaster, Alabama, native has transitioned from high school to college, the 6-foot-2, 300-pound freshman acknowledged there’s a different level of competition at Clemson.

“Everybody says the speed of the game, and it sounds cliche, but it’s true,” Woods said of the difference. “You’re going against guys that are just as big as you or even better, so the speed of the game is going to be crazy. And just the competition, you’re always working and competing to get better. There’s no playing down to your competition because you’re always up there at a high level.”

With fourth-year defensive tackle Tré Williams expected to miss the early part of fall camp, Woods will have plenty of opportunities to throw his name in the mix for heavy snaps ahead of the Tigers’ season opener on Sept. 4.

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Clemson’s defense made a way in first half but couldn’t hold on in loss to Gamecocks

Wes Goodwin’s defense came away with a huge first half but couldn’t carry it over to hold onto the win in the second half, losing to the South Carolina Gamecocks for the first time since 2013 and snapping the nation’s longest active winning streak …

Wes Goodwin’s defense came away with a huge first half but couldn’t carry it over to hold onto the win in the second half, losing to the South Carolina Gamecocks for the first time since 2013 and snapping the nation’s longest active winning streak at home by a score of 31-30.

Jeremiah Trotter Jr. got the ball rolling for the Tigers early in the first half with a clutch interception grab – the second of his career — on the 35 which he ran in for the first pick-6 of his career.

Trotter’s pick-6 sparked a big performance for Clemson’s defense, which accounted for almost half of the Tigers’ points on the board in the first half of play. Shortly after the pick-6 that gave Clemson the early lead, defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro was able to track down Gamecock quarterback Spencer Rattler for the Tigers’ first sack of the day which also happened to be in the end zone, resulting in a safety.

Defensive end K.J. Henry/linebacker Wade Woodaz and Trotter both sacked Rattler for Clemson’s second and third sacks of the day in the third and fourth quarters respectively. The sacks were just the 10, 11th and 12th sacks sustained by Rattler this season for South Carolina.

In total, Clemson’s defense recorded 67 tackles (11 for a loss), five quarterback hurries, three sacks, two pass breakups and two interceptions despite falling victim to the Gamecocks in Death Valley.

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Nation’s No. 1 LB gives latest, expects to visit Clemson this weekend

The Clemson Insider caught up with a priority Clemson target, ranked as the nation’s No. 1 linebacker in the 2024 class, to get the latest on his recruitment. Jefferson (Ga.) five-star Sammy Brown, who collected Clemson’s first 2024 offer back in …

The Clemson Insider caught up with a priority Clemson target, ranked as the nation’s No. 1 linebacker in the 2024 class, to get the latest on his recruitment.

Jefferson (Ga.) five-star Sammy Brown, who collected Clemson’s first 2024 offer back in March, continues to stay in contact with head coach Dabo Swinney and defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Wes Goodwin.

“I’ve been talking pretty consistently with Coach Goodwin, really just about hunting and school and what not,” Brown told TCI. “I get on the phone with Coach Swinney once every two weeks or so. It’s good to catch up with them and talk about stuff other than football.”

As Brown keeps in touch with the coaches, he has also been keeping up with the Tigers this season and likes what he’s seen from them on the defensive side of the ball especially.

“I thought that the defense has played lights out all year,” he said. “They’ve had a couple slip-ups here and there, but they’re playing good football on a consistent basis. I’ve been very impressed.”

As far as his recruitment goes, Brown – who boasts more than two dozen scholarship offers – feels Clemson is among the schools recruiting him most heavily at this point in the process.

“It’s been pretty consistent,” he said. “Clemson, Georgia, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Notre Dame and Ohio State have been probably the hardest.”

Brown has been to Clemson, Ohio State, Georgia and Tennessee this season.

“We planned on (visiting) Oklahoma this (past) weekend but couldn’t make it because of prices,” he said.

The 6-foot-2, 227-pound junior most recently visited Death Valley for the Oct. 1 NC State game after attending the Sept. 10 game vs. Furman, where both of his parents went to college.

Brown told TCI that he and his family have considered a return trip to Clemson for this weekend’s game against South Carolina.

We checked in with Brown again earlier this week to ask whether they’ll be back in The Valley on Saturday.

“I’m pretty sure we are,” he said.

Brown is rated as a five-star prospect and ranked as the nation’s No. 1 linebacker in the 2024 class by both 247Sports and the 247Sports Composite. 247Sports considers him the No. 6 overall prospect in his class regardless of position, while he is the No. 12 overall prospect in his class according to the composite rankings.

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!