Clemson Defensive Coordinator Candidates to Replace Wes Goodwin

[@OldHippie8]

I’m sitting in the waiting room at the place you advertised!

[@ryan_kantor]

ReadyVets! Well, first I’m sorry your pet is hurting. Hope everything is ok. The vet there is Dr Capps. We went to Clemson together. In my experience he is extremely competent. Hope it all worked out. Glad I could direct you to a good place with the ad!

[@klayjacksmedia]

Hey Ryan! Nice video! Hope they get Leonhard, too!

[@ryan_kantor]

Me too! I think he’d be a great fit.

[@domenicdurante966]

I like Leonhard. Young (42) with solid DC/NFL experience. His Wisconsin defenses from 2017-2022 were some of the best in the nation. Would be great.

[@ryan_kantor]

Yeah that’s my top choice! Seems reasonable.

[@JohnSmith-bq6nf]

@@ryan_kantorfunny enough ai says that’s best bet too

[@hunterporth3302]

Actually Clemson top choice is Tennessee Tim Banks with other names being thrown around being Steve Wilkes, Phil Parker, Mike Tressel and ironically muschamp name has been thrown around but that’s not happening and the if no option of he likes accepts it will be making Todd Bates becoming the full time DC

[@mr2x137]

adam randall at that rb postion is gonna be so fun to watch

[@ryan_kantor]

Yeah, I’m uncharacteristically excited about him there. I’ve been the low-man on Randall for 3 years but now I’m as high as anyone on what he is about to do.

[@volusiasorange]

I'm concerned with the direction of recruiting and the portal in comparison with some of our SEC rivals/opponents

[@porschepal7932]

I'm not. The best coaches in the country with average to above average players will beat the elite players with subpar coaching any day of the week. We've seen that over the years. Alabama in 2018 had more talent than Clemson did but that Clemson coaching staff out coached Alabama in the National Championship that season.

[@ryan_kantor]

That 2018 Clemson roster was loaded. Talent level was quite close. They may have had more stars, but we had more hits. Some of that is coaching them up, some of that is scouting/evaluation, but some of it is just luck.

[@volusiasorange]

@@ryan_kantor yeah... i think the issue now is that we really just aren't pulling in the same caliber of recruit regularly enough... the rash of decommits prior to signing day recently was extremely concerning... this will rear its head sooner rather than later as we're not buttressing the roster with transfers... one guy from purdue and one FCS receiver ain't going to cut it

[@jimwright7613]

Dabo needs to get his rear in gear and get a DC who has a fire in his gut and do multiples on defense like use of the blitz effectively and other strategic defensive formations effectively. We face a gamecock that is improving, Miami with a QB that spanked us while a UGA and a new UNC under BB the NFL genius.

[@CoachGraham54]

Leonhard, Santucci, or Henry. We don’t want anyone else lol

[@ryan_kantor]

Leonhard would be a home run. Santucci has some risk, but I'd be happy with it. I really like the idea of Aaron Henry. I have nothing against adding Tim Banks. He is experienced and has done well at UT alongside a up-tempo offense. He'd be a solid hire. I think you could argue he's got more experience with a better program. Any of them are good, but Leonhard seems best to me.

[@TUHurricanefan1]

Interesting for Brent Venables who needs a DC too. Oklahoma’s DC went to West Virginia as their DC/ assistant head coach and linebacker coach. Maybe Goodwin to Oklahoma!!

[@ryan_kantor]

Seems like Wes to OU is happening.

[@bobbysmith3196]

Think BV needs more of an Assistant Head Coach With Head Coaching Experience and Go Take The DC Job Himself!!! He is The Best DC I’ve Never Seen (In Person)😊

[@spudwickpapers]

Time for a statement hire--- Rex Ryan or Steve Spagnuolo..... Go big or go home. 💪 Its time to raise the ante and get a pro-style defense and talent developer

[@ryan_kantor]

Jim Leonhard would be an even bigger statement.

[@joshualove2198]

Brian Dawkins is my #1 choice. He would bring a similar intensity that Venables did, and a pro bowl resume in the NFL.

[@ryan_kantor]

Does he have any coaching experience at all?

[@joshualove2198]

@ not that I know of. (so there would be a risk\ learning curve) maybe start him off as a db coach (under the new hire)

[@JohnSmith-bq6nf]

Ryan there is a rumor the team was told something big and exciting today any idea what it might be? Nolan hauser tweeted out buy as much Clemson stock as you can.

[@ryan_kantor]

I see that now. Maybe the team has been informed. That’s purely speculation though.

[@JohnSmith-bq6nf]

@ I hope they meant a+ defensive hire

[@MichaelBrown-zj4uw]

Could that have been the Antonio Williams announcement? I wouldn't think that it would be THAT big of a thing with the players. Sure they know he's awesome but i wouldn't think it would be a surprise to them. I don't think there was a ton of speculation that he was leaving or coming out.

[@Carolina3489Panthers]

It seems a former 5 star LB that’s transferring from bama who was Peter woods high school teammate might be transferring to Clemson is what I heard

[@JohnSmith-bq6nf]

@@MichaelBrown-zj4uw no I think most expected him to come back.

[@guttarich10]

I wish we would ride right up 85N and get Steve Wilks who is currently an analyst at Charlotte University. He’s proven it on the highest level multiple times.

[@ryan_kantor]

@rocboysfootball mentioned him. He never had an elite run of college defense as DC like Jim Leonhard.

[@guttarich10]

@ Roc Boys were talking about me mentioning in the comments. Wilks has had a top 3 defense in the NFL multiple years, college is a step down. You think Bill Belichick needs college experience?

[@dennismfowler5611]

I wish Clemson would go after the defense coordinator from Boise state

[@ryan_kantor]

He has only had one year in the DC role.

[@jeremychilds8624]

I wish Dabo could land Iowa's def. Coordinator

[@ryan_kantor]

Phil Parker! I discuss him at the end of the video.

[@jeramiuspayne3009]

Hopefully we get Tim banks or Jim Leonard only isssue with Jim is that he is coaches safeties so unless you let Conn go how to do you hire him and I think Tom Allen is a good candidate and is a former HC and Travis Williams (Arky DC) could be a decent hire if you can’t get the others

[@ryan_kantor]

Nah that’s fine. You keep Conn. you let Jim Leonhard be just the DC. You then move Lorenzo Ward to LB coach but not an off-campus recruiter so you have an LB coach as an extra coach but don’t go over the limit which now only applies to off-campus recruiters.

[@cbreeze864]

Jim Leonhard? His defense was getting obliterated during his last season at Wisconsin as DC and intern head coach. Ohio State lit them up with 52 points. Illinois hung 34 on them. What’s the attraction there?

[@ryan_kantor]

He is a Broyles Award finalist who had insane scoring defenses the 3 years in a row prior to that.

[@cbreeze864]

@ Tim Banks is a 2024 Broyles Award finalist and in the past 3 seasons has taken Tennessee’s defense from #93 to #33 and now #7 in the nation. He did that facing top tier competition. No offense to Leonhard (it’s just my opinion) but I think Banks is a better fit.

[@hitwonder101]

Jim Leonhard

[@ryan_kantor]

Please

[@johnsarian_cu]

With the gossipy chit-chat about some of the position coaches either not being in Dabo's good graces or at risk with the next DC hire, I think a more senior person with success among different staffs and a recruiting pedigree might be near the top of the feature list so to speak. So, e.g., Santucci might be risky in that way by comparison. Also, maybe Allen didn't necessarily improve things - there wasn't a big margin available - but it's noteworthy they were still quite good. No significant slippage. I don't really have a hierarchy outside of that.

[@ryan_kantor]

Yeah, if you can’t land Leonhard, Santucci may be a good option if you’re keeping the rest of the staff intact. Same for Aaron Henry. If you want a bigger shake-up perhaps you go with Tim Banks from UT or swing for Allen.

[@blakeellis7417]

Phil Parker

[@ryan_kantor]

Love him. Watch the video to the end. I discuss him at the end.

[@shawnstgermaine4572]

What it comes down too is they're hoping he will go to oklahoma and solve rthe issue with paying him that buyout by not firing him even though they have .

[@ryan_kantor]

I saw it reported that they’ll still have to eat 75% of it.

[@TUHurricanefan1]

Venables might be available if he can’t get a winning season next year. He needs to win 8 games or better to keep his job. #Sooners #oklahoma #OUDNA #champU #oklahomasooners #oklahomafootball #TBOW #Fighton #lincolnriley #uscfootball #usctrojans #usctrojansfootball #brentvenables #cbssports #collegegameday #espncfb #foxcollegefootball #collegefootball #recruiting #espn #collegefootballrecruiting #ItJustMeansMore

[@ryan_kantor]

Issue is 2025's Clemson roster is loaded. We can't just keep Wes or now that he's gone just punt this hire so we can hire BV next year.

[@porschepal7932]

If Jeremy Pruitt fit the Clemson culture, he's a great DC. I just don't think he would fit Clemson though.

[@ryan_kantor]

He was a good DC, but I think there may be culture/fit issues there.

[@truthrn7975]

Leonhard ftw. Hire him!!!!!

[@ryan_kantor]

My top choice too

[@donniemeekins131]

Gotta let go of Goodwin

[@ryan_kantor]

This is all but official.

[@thunderousooner527]

So why haven’t Clemson let Wes Goodwin go let? What’s the hangup?

[@fazeboom9976]

They did, Dabo just keeps his card to the chest same with the Garret Riley hire.

[@ryan_kantor]

It will likely be announced next week unless they’re hiring someone who is still playing like Al Golden, Tom Allen, or possibly an NFL guy

[@NoonyJW]

nothing is going to stop the gamecocks domination over you taters over the next 3 years 😂😂😂

[@ryan_kantor]

Well, Aaron Henry just shut Sellers down and we may hire him so…

[@user-fl3gy9po1e]

Wĥat about Jim Knowles

[@ryan_kantor]

Ohio State is in a better spot with financial support/conference strength/recruiting. Not sure how we'd get him.