CLEMSON — Though Clemson has not officially announced anything when it comes to its defensive coaching staff, as The Clemson Insider reported on Saturday, all signs continue to point to Dabo Swinney making a change at defensive coordinator.
If that indeed happens, who will Swinney get to replace Wes Goodwin? Swinney might just have a short walk down the hall at the Allen Reeves Football Complex to find his new defensive coordinator.
As TCI reported on Saturday, Swinney is looking for an experienced coach to run his defense and he already has one on his staff.
One coach that might get consideration for the job is former South Carolina defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward, who joined Swinney’s Clemson staff last spring and currently serves as the special assistant to the head coach and defense and as an assistant linebackers coach.
Ward served as South Carolina’s defensive coordinator from 2009-’15, as the Gamecocks had some of the best defensive units in the country during that time.
Prior to this season, Ward spent the five seasons as the defensive coordinator at Chattanooga. Prior to that he was at Louisville, where he served as the defensive backs coach and as associate head coach. He was at Louisville for two seasons before going to Chattanooga in 2019.
While at South Carolina, Ward coached under Steve Spurrier. He was a part of a South Carolina staff that helped the program have the best four-season run in the school’s history from 2010-’13, including three straight 11-2 campaigns from 2011-’13.
A former player at Alabama, Ward was a graduate assistant coach on the Alabama staff during Swinney’s junior year with the Crimson Tide. Ward is entering his 34 year as a football coach. He also spent two years as an assistant coach for the NFL’s Oakland Raiders.
After the departure of defensive coordinator Brent Venables to become the head coach at Oklahoma, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney is faced with the task of finding his replacement. However, some believe that Swinney may already have the perfect candidate on his coaching staff.
Current safeties coach Mickey Conn has been with the Tigers since 2017 and has been instrumental in the development of Clemson’s secondary. With over 30 years of coaching experience, including a successful tenure as a high school head coach, Conn has the knowledge and leadership skills to take on the role of defensive coordinator.
Not only does Conn have the experience and expertise, but he also has the trust and respect of the players and coaching staff. His ability to connect with players and motivate them to perform at their best could make him a natural fit for the position.
While Swinney has not officially announced his choice for defensive coordinator, many fans and analysts believe that Mickey Conn could be the perfect candidate to step up and lead the Tigers’ defense to continued success. Only time will tell if Swinney decides to promote Conn to the role, but all signs point to him being a strong contender for the job.
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