Clemson football coaching staff tracker, updates for Dabo Swinney in 2026 season
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CLEMSON — Dabo Swinney is in search of new Clemson football assistants for the 2026 season.
The Tigers (7-6) had their second-worst season under Swinney after entering 2025 as ACC favorites and a College Football Playoff contender. Not only did Clemson return the most production of any FBS or FCS program this season but had an experienced coaching staff with continuity in every position except linebacker.
Still, the Tigers underperformed, which caused Swinney to make staff changes and other assistants to depart for new roles.
Here are all the coaches who are leaving and joining Clemson for the 2026 season.
What coaches are leaving Clemson football?
Garrett Riley, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach: Riley was fired on Dec. 29. He spent three seasons as Clemson’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, replacing Brandon Streeter. The Tigers’ offense regressed in 2025 to average 27.2 (70th) despite having senior quarterback Cade Klubnik, talented skill-position players and an experienced offensive line.
Position: TBD
Mickey Conn, defensive passing game coordinator/safeties coach: Conn was fired on Dec. 29. He was hired as a defensive assistant in 2016 and was hired as Clemson’s safeties coach in 2017. He added defensive passing game coordinator and co-special teams coordinator titles prior to the 2025 season.
Position: TBD
Joey Batson, head strength and conditioning coach: Batson retired after completing his 29th season with Clemson and 40th year as a strength and conditioning coach at the college level. He served under three Clemson coaches: Tommy West, Tommy Bowden and Swinney.
Position: Retirement
John Grass, senior offensive assistant/assistant quarterbacks coach: Samford hired Grass as its 37th coach on Dec. 3. Grass, 57, joined Clemson in 2022 in an off-field capacity, serving as a special assistant to the offense in the 2022-23 seasons before becoming a senior offensive assistant and assistant quarterbacks coach in 2024.
Position: Samford coach
Drew Swinney, offensive player development/assistant tight ends coach: Drew Swinney, the middle child of Clemson coach Dabo Swinney, is following Grass to Samford. Drew Swinney was on Clemson’s staff for three seasons, working as a graduate assistant in 2023 and 2024 before being promoted to offensive player development and assistant wide receivers coach roles this year. He was also a wide receiver at Clemson from 2018-22
Samford hasn’t officially announced his hiring, but Drew Swinney changed his X bio to reflect the position.
Position: Samford wide receivers coach
Paul Tyson, offensive player development intern: Tyson, who spent a year at quarterback with Clemson in 2023 and served as a player/coach in 2024, served as an offensive player development intern for one season in 2025.
Samford hasn’t officially announced his hiring, but Tyson will follow Grass to Samford. Tyson changed his X bio to reflect the position.
Position: Samford quarterbacks coach
Brandon Thomas, offensive player development/assistant offensive line coach: Thomas finished his fourth season assisting Clemson’s offense and second year as the team’s offensive player development and assistant offensive line coach.
Samford hasn’t officially announced his hiring, but Thomas will follow Grass to Samford. Thomas changed his X bio to reflect the position.
Position: Samford offensive line coach
Montralius Mosley, offensive player development intern: Samford hasn’t officially announced his hiring, but Mosley will follow Grass to Samford. Mosley changed his X bio to reflect the position.
Position: Samford running backs coach/chief of staff
Andrew Zow, offensive analyst/assistant running backs coach: Zow finished his fifth season assisting Clemson’s offense. He joined Clemson as an offensive analyst in 2021 before becoming a senior offensive assistant across the 2022-23 seasons. In 2024, he became an offensive analyst and assistant running backs coach.
Samford hasn’t officially announced his hiring, but Zow will reportedly follow Grass to Samford.
Position: Role TBD at Samford
What coaches are joining Clemson football?
Dennis Love, head strength and conditioning coach: Love, who returned to Clemson in January 2022 after spending 11 years with the Tigers from 2004 to 2014, will replace Joey Batson, who has been the 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.
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
- Chris Rumph, defensive ends coach
- Mike Reed, cornerbacks coach
- Kyle Richardson, tight ends coach
- Tyler Grisham, wide receivers coach
- C.J. Spiller, running backs coach
- Ben Boulware, linebackers coach
- DeAndre McDaniel, nickelbacks coach
- Dennis Love, strength and conditioning coach
- Lorenzo Ward, special assistant to the head coach, defense and special teams
- Thomas Allen, defensive analyst/assistant linebackers coach
- Da’Quan Bowers, assistant defensive ends coach
- Tajh Boyd, assistant quarterbacks coach
- Carson Cramer, offensive analyst
- Cole Stoudt, offense analyst
- Jody Evans, special teams analyst
- Carter Thomason, defensive analyst
- Elijah Turner, defensive analyst
- Will Gilchrist, director of special teams
- Tyrone Crowder, assistant offensive line coach
- Corey Crawford, assistant defensive line coach
- Will Swinney, assistant tight ends coach
- Zach Terrill, defensive player development
- Andrew Shipman, assistant tight ends coach
- Ryan Allen, specialists coach
- Nolan Turner, assistant safeties coach
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Dabo Swinney’s Clemson football coaching staff tracker for 2026
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