Thursday Staff Update
By: Larry Williams & Paul Strelow
Entering spring practice last March, Dabo Swinney reflected on the significant turnover on his support staff and said it was probably the most turnover that group had suffered over his tenure.
Particularly hard hit was the offensive side, where only J.P. Losman remained from the 2020 support staff.
With Brent Venables gone to Oklahoma and Tony Elliott likely to depart for Virginia, there figures to be more attrition coming.
Miguel Chavis, who worked with the defensive line, has already announced his departure for Oklahoma. And it'll be interesting to see what's in store for other defensive staffers who have been around for some time, including former Tiger defensive back DeAndre McDaniel.
On the offensive side, we've told you our best bet for the moves Swinney makes to replace Elliott is moving Brandon Streeter to the coordinator role and Kyle Richardson up to a position coach. We don't know that for certain, but that's definitely the vibe we've been picking up for a while now.
Clemson senior offensive assistant J.P. Losman. (Tigerillustrated.com)
If that happens, Losman would still be off the field and he might be interested in looking around. And we'd think he'd be attractive to Elliott as he puts together his first staff as a head coach.
Terry Bowden took several guys last year when he took the job at Louisiana-Monroe. Also longtime offensive assistant Cam Aiken departed for South Florida.
Usually when an assistant gets a head job, the first thing that enters everyone's mind is which position coaches might be going with him. And we wonder whether Elliott might consider Mike Reed a good fit for a defensive coordinator position in Charlottesville.
But further beneath the surface, the support-staff level is also vulnerable when coaches are leaving to run their own shows -- sometimes more so. And we believe it bears monitoring over the next several days. -- LARRY WILLIAMS
We've spoken to numerous coaches through time who've told us it's an unwritten rule that you don't backstab the head coach who helped you get your own head coaching job by pilfering his staff of on-field coaches. Promotions and support staffers, though, are fair game.
Chavis is a notable loss, in this observer's estimation.
He brought a real energy to the table and connected with players as well as plenty of prospects and their families. Interesting that the former defensive tackle will handle defensive ends for Oklahoma. But Venables knew what he was doing there.
With as much as Swinney priorities Clemson family and those conditioned on the program's way, here's wondering if Xavier Brewer would get a strong look in the event Reed went elsewhere. Getting ahead of ourselves perhaps, but Brewer was a solid teacher when we observed him before Bowden took him to ULM, and here's feeling he had some recruiting upside along with Florida roots.
The actual Clemson staffers out on the road this week have their work cut out for them.
We are fielding numerous questions daily from contacts around prospects asking what's going on with Clemson -- prompted primarily by what they consider the unexpected departures of both coordinators, Elliott presumed.
Perception amounts to reality, so much of the message is amounting to damage control in distinguishing fact from fiction regarding program stability.
Clemson's coaches have these next two days on the road before some come in for this weekend's official visits, although a couple may well go back out Saturday for high school playoff contests.
A season unlike any the Tigers have seen in a long time has spawned a recruiting period unlike one Clemson has dealt with since maybe Dabo Swinney's initial Dandy Dozen.
Fact of the matter is, there are still a bunch of moving parts that need sorting out before Clemson calms the storm. -- PAUL STRELOW
From THE TIGER FAN SHOP: Happy Holidays! More marked down officially-licensed Clemson apparel and gear! Visit The Tiger Fan Shop HERE!
By: Larry Williams & Paul Strelow
Entering spring practice last March, Dabo Swinney reflected on the significant turnover on his support staff and said it was probably the most turnover that group had suffered over his tenure.
Particularly hard hit was the offensive side, where only J.P. Losman remained from the 2020 support staff.
With Brent Venables gone to Oklahoma and Tony Elliott likely to depart for Virginia, there figures to be more attrition coming.
Miguel Chavis, who worked with the defensive line, has already announced his departure for Oklahoma. And it'll be interesting to see what's in store for other defensive staffers who have been around for some time, including former Tiger defensive back DeAndre McDaniel.
On the offensive side, we've told you our best bet for the moves Swinney makes to replace Elliott is moving Brandon Streeter to the coordinator role and Kyle Richardson up to a position coach. We don't know that for certain, but that's definitely the vibe we've been picking up for a while now.
Clemson senior offensive assistant J.P. Losman. (Tigerillustrated.com)
If that happens, Losman would still be off the field and he might be interested in looking around. And we'd think he'd be attractive to Elliott as he puts together his first staff as a head coach.
Terry Bowden took several guys last year when he took the job at Louisiana-Monroe. Also longtime offensive assistant Cam Aiken departed for South Florida.
Usually when an assistant gets a head job, the first thing that enters everyone's mind is which position coaches might be going with him. And we wonder whether Elliott might consider Mike Reed a good fit for a defensive coordinator position in Charlottesville.
But further beneath the surface, the support-staff level is also vulnerable when coaches are leaving to run their own shows -- sometimes more so. And we believe it bears monitoring over the next several days. -- LARRY WILLIAMS
We've spoken to numerous coaches through time who've told us it's an unwritten rule that you don't backstab the head coach who helped you get your own head coaching job by pilfering his staff of on-field coaches. Promotions and support staffers, though, are fair game.
Chavis is a notable loss, in this observer's estimation.
He brought a real energy to the table and connected with players as well as plenty of prospects and their families. Interesting that the former defensive tackle will handle defensive ends for Oklahoma. But Venables knew what he was doing there.
With as much as Swinney priorities Clemson family and those conditioned on the program's way, here's wondering if Xavier Brewer would get a strong look in the event Reed went elsewhere. Getting ahead of ourselves perhaps, but Brewer was a solid teacher when we observed him before Bowden took him to ULM, and here's feeling he had some recruiting upside along with Florida roots.
The actual Clemson staffers out on the road this week have their work cut out for them.
We are fielding numerous questions daily from contacts around prospects asking what's going on with Clemson -- prompted primarily by what they consider the unexpected departures of both coordinators, Elliott presumed.
Perception amounts to reality, so much of the message is amounting to damage control in distinguishing fact from fiction regarding program stability.
Clemson's coaches have these next two days on the road before some come in for this weekend's official visits, although a couple may well go back out Saturday for high school playoff contests.
A season unlike any the Tigers have seen in a long time has spawned a recruiting period unlike one Clemson has dealt with since maybe Dabo Swinney's initial Dandy Dozen.
Fact of the matter is, there are still a bunch of moving parts that need sorting out before Clemson calms the storm. -- PAUL STRELOW
From THE TIGER FAN SHOP: Happy Holidays! More marked down officially-licensed Clemson apparel and gear! Visit The Tiger Fan Shop HERE!
