Dabo Swinney's full coaching staff for Clemson football in 2026
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
CLEMSON — Dabo Swinney revamped Clemson football‘s coaching staff after a disappointing season.
Clemson (7-6) had its second-worst season in Swinney’s full 17 seasons as the Tigers missed the ACC championship and College Football Playoff in 2025 despite being preseason favorites to make both.
This led to Swinney firing offensive coordinator Garrett Riley and safeties coach Mickey Conn. Swinney also had to replace multiple staffers after Samford hired John Grass as its new coach, and he took multiple Clemson assistants with him to the FCS level.
Here’s Clemson‘s full list of coaches entering 2026.
Clemson football coach hires, promotions in 2026
Chad Morris, offensive coordinator
Chad Morris replaced Riley as Clemson’s offensive coordinator in January. This is Morris’ third stint with the Tigers after being the team’s offensive coordinator from 2011-14 and returning to serve as an offensive analyst in 2023.
He will be tasked with restoring Clemson’s offense that regressed in 2025, averaging 27.2 points (72nd in FBS) despite having senior quarterback Cade Klubnik, talented skill-position players and an experienced offensive line. In 2024, the Tigers averaged 34.7 points (18th).
Nolan Turner, safeties coach
Swinney promoted Nolan Turner to Clemson’s safeties coach. He spent two seasons on the team’s support staff, working as an assistant safeties coach.
Turner also played safety for six seasons at Clemson from 2016-21, recording 259 tackles, 20 pass breakups, seven interceptions and two forced fumbles.
Tajh Boyd, quarterbacks coach
Swinney promoted Tajh Boyd to Clemson’s quarterbacks coach after Riley was fired. He returned to the Tigers in 2021 in an offensive player development role. He transitioned to offensive analyst and assistant quarterbacks coach in 2024.
Boyd played quarterback at Clemson from 2010-13, setting program records in career completions (901), passing yards (11,904) and passing touchdowns (107).
Corico Wright, nickelbacks coach
Swinney hired Corico Wright as Clemson’s nickelbacks coach, replacing DeAndre McDaniel, who transitioned to senior defensive assistant/assistant defensive backs coach/assistant special teams coach. Wright is coming from Delaware, where he was the team’s defensive pass game coordinator/cornerbacks coach from 2023.
Wright played linebacker at Clemson from 2009-12 and also served as a defensive graduate assistant on Swinney’s staff for three years.
Dennis Love, strength and conditioning coach
Dennis Love, who returned to Clemson in January 2022 after spending 11 years with the Tigers from 2004-14, replaced Joey Batson, who retired after being the team’s strength coach since 1997.
Swinney said Love turned down working with the Minnesota Vikings to be Clemson’s strength coach after Batson “handpicked” him to be his successor.
Thomas Allen, defensive pass game coordinator
Swinney promoted Thomas Allen, defensive coordinator Tom Allen’s son, from defensive analyst/assistant linebackers coach to Clemson’s defensive pass game coordinator.
Thomas Allen joined his dad in moving from Penn State to Clemson in 2025, where he helped improve Clemson’s secondary when he oversaw meetings between cornerbacks, nickel corners and safeties after the team’s November loss to Duke.
Lonnie Galloway, senior offensive assistant
Lonnie Galloway will replace Grass as Clemson’s senior offensive assistant. Swinney hired Galloway as a volunteer offensive analyst in 2025.
Galloway coached with the Tar Heels from 2019-24. He started as their wide receivers coach, then became an assistant head coach in 2021 and passing game coordinator in 2023. He began coaching in 1996, having stints at Elon, East Carolina, Appalachian State, West Virginia, Wake Forest and Louisville.
Jacoby Ford, assistant wide receivers coach/offensive player development
Jacoby Ford will replace Swinney’s middle child, Drew Swinney, who went to Samford, as Clemson’s assistant wide receivers coach.
Ford played wideout at Clemson from 2006-09 and ran track and field. He also spent three seasons in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders.
Artavis Scott, assistant running backs coach/offensive player development
Artavis Scott is replacing Andrew Zow, who went to Samford, as Clemson’s assistant running backs coach. Scott joins Clemson after working as the wide receivers coach at Howard, an FCS program.
He is also Clemson’s all-time receptions leader, catching 245 passes for 2,480 yards receiving for 19 touchdowns from 2014-16,
Brad Glenn, assistant tight ends coach/offensive player development
Brad Glenn will replace Swinney’s oldest child, Will Swinney, who transitioned to assistant wide receivers coach, as Clemson’s assistant tight ends coach.
Glenn, a graduate of Clemson, has three decades of coaching experience at the high-school level in South Carolina (Greer, Seneca Senior) and stints at Elon, App State, Western Carolina, Georgia State, Virginia Tech and Cincinnati.
Anthony Lazard, senior assistant strength and conditioning coach
Anthony Lazard will replace Love at his former strength and conditioning position. He joins Clemson after spending three seasons at Stanford.
Mike Miller, offensive analyst
Mike Miller is back with Clemson after serving as a student coach in 2015. He played quarterback at UAB from 2011-13 and has experience at the high school and Division I level with stints at Alabama, Maryland and Charlotte.
Jayron Kearse, student coach
Jayron Kearse will return to Clemson as a student coach. He spent three seasons with the Tigers at safety from 2013-15, recording 161 tackles, seven interceptions, two forced fumbles and 18 pass deflections.
Freddie Kitchens, volunteer offensive assistant
Swinney hired Freddie Kitchens, North Carolina’s offensive coordinator in 2025 and a former NFL head coach, as a volunteer offensive assistant.
What Clemson coaching positions are still open?
Former Clemson special teams coordinator Will Gilchrist followed Grass to Samford after finishing his third season with Clemson’s special teams unit in 2025. Gilchrist joined the program as a player development assistant for special teams in 2023 and was promoted to director of special teams in 2024.
Swinney said he will announce the hiring of this position at a later date.
Dabo Swinney’s Clemson football staff for 2026 season
- Tom Allen, defensive coordinator/linebackers coach
- Nick Eason, defensive tackles coach
- Matt Luke, offensive line coach/assistant head coach/co-offensive coordinator
- Chris Rumph, defensive ends coach/defensive run game coordinator
- Mike Reed, cornerbacks coach/assistant head coach/co-special teams coordinator
- Kyle Richardson, tight ends coach/co-offensive coordinator
- Tyler Grisham, wide receivers coach/offensive pass game coordinator
- C.J. Spiller, running backs coach/offensive run game coordinator
- Ben Boulware, linebackers coach
- Lorenzo Ward, special assistant to the head coach, defense and special teams
- DeAndre McDaniel, senior defensive assistant/assistant defensive backs coach/assistant special teams coach
- Da’Quan Bowers, assistant defensive ends coach/defensive analyst
- Carson Cramer, assistant offensive line coach/offensive analyst
- Cole Stoudt, offense analyst
- Jody Evans, special teams analyst
- Carter Thomason, defensive analyst
- Elijah Turner, defensive analyst/assistant cornerbacks coach
- Tyrone Crowder, assistant offensive line coach/offensive player development
- Corey Crawford, assistant defensive line coach/defensive player development
- Will Swinney, assistant wide receivers coach/offensive player development
- Zach Terrill, defensive player development
- Ryan Allen, specialists coach/special teams player development
- Mike Houston, volunteer defensive analyst
- Hunter Helms, offensive player development intern
Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at DCarter@usatodayco.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson football coaching staff for Dabo Swinney in 2026 season
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos