Miami’s defense might be under the direction of a first-year coordinator, but Dabo Swinney still has a good idea of what Clemson’s offense is going to get from that unit today.
It has little to do with what the Hurricanes have been putting on film all season.
When Mario Cristobal was hired as Miami’s coach late last year, he tapped Kevin Steele to be his defensive coordinator. Steele, of course, was Swinney’s defensive coordinator at Clemson from 2009-11.
Steele’s time at Clemson came to an unceremonious end following that 2011 season when the two parted ways after the Tigers gave up 70 points to West Virginia in an Orange Bowl loss. It still stands as a record for the most points ever scored by one team in a bowl game.
Still, Swinney talked glowingly this week about his former assistant more than a decade removed from their time working together.
“He’s a great coach,” Swinney said. “He’s always been a great coach.”
Steele has given some merit to that statement with what he’s done since his days on Swinney’s staff. Steele has made five stops in the last 10 years, most notably a career-revitalizing stint as the defensive coordinator at Auburn from 2016-20. Auburn ranked in the top 30 nationally in total defense in three of those five seasons and in the top 20 in scoring defense four times.
Steele spent last season on Jeremy Pruitt’s staff at Tennessee before Pruitt was fired. He quickly landed at Miami, where Steele is leading a defense that’s among the top 50 in the FBS in points and yards allowed. Swinney credited Steele for being able to adapt to the personnel he has, but the scheme and the mentality the Hurricanes are playing with, Swinney said, look awfully familiar.
“Usually four down (linemen). That’s typically kind of how he’s played,” Swinney said. “And a lot of man coverage but multiple with his coverages. Aggressive. An attack type of defense. That’s kind of how he’s always done it.”
Swinney said not much has changed with Steele’s approach at Miami.
“Obviously this is his first year down there, and they’re still trying to all get on the same page and all that type of stuff,” Swinney said. “But the basics of who he is is still in play.”
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