Nick Eason Home Run Hire for Clemson

Losing Todd Bates to Oklahoma was a pretty big hit for the Clemson Tigers. However, not quite as big as some made it out to be. All coaches are replaceable.

Dabo Swinney just needed to get the right coach to take his place, and it appears he has found his guy, as Nick Eason is set to become the next defensive assistant at Clemson.

Clemson to Hire New Defensive Coach https://t.co/gloznrTF0h via @steelerwill

— Sports Illustrated's All Clemson (@ClemsonSI) January 5, 2022

Eason is a former Clemson standout, playing in 47 games, starting in 35 and accumulating 153 tackles and 15 sacks. He was a first-team, All ACC player in 2001.

Eason would go on to be drafted in the 4th round of the 2004 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos. Over the next decade he would spend time playing in Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Arizona.

Eason has now been coaching defensive linemen since 2013. Most of that time has been spent in the NFL, before returning to college football in 2021 as the defensive tackles coach at Auburn.

He’s coached with the Browns, Titans, and Bengals and it’s that NFL experience that will serve him quite well. We all know Eason can coach. It’s on the recruiting trail where that pedigree will come in handy.

Bates was one of the top recruiters for Clemson. He had just been named the recruiting coordinator. Swinney needed to act quickly and knock it out of the park with this hire, and with Eason, that is exactly what he’s done.