The Clemson defensive coordinator search might be the most important storyline of the offseason for head coach Dabo Swinney and his program. Until that side of the football is returned to a championship level, the Tigers are going to remain pretenders on a national scale.
Since the rumors began to surface that Swinney was going to fire Wes Goodwin, one name has stood out as the lead candidate, Tim Banks of Tennessee. However, it now appears that Banks is no longer in the running to be the next Clemson defensive coordinator and a new high-profile coach has taken Banks' place as the lead candidate.
Is Notre Dame's Al Golden now Clemson's No. 1 target?
According to Scott Hamilton of The Post and Courier in Charleston, Tim Banks is no longer a candidate for Clemson's DC position. Instead, Notre Dame's current defensive coordinator, Al Golden, has emerged as the top target.
Source: Tennessee’s Tim Banks out as candidate for Clemson DC job; Notre Dame’s Al Golden now frontrunner.
— Scott Hamilton (@ScottHamiltonPC) January 8, 2025
Golden has been with Notre Dame as defensive coordinator since 2022. There, he's built one of the stingiest defenses in the nation.
This year, the Irish rank 6th nationally in total defense. They are giving up just 295.4 yards per game. That trails only Ohio State, Indiana, Texas, Northern Illinois, and Penn State.
Against the run, an area where Clemson was dreadful in 2024, the Irish sit at No. 32 in the nation. They are giving up only 127.9 yards per game on the ground. By comparison, Clemson gave up 150.8 rushing yards per game this season.
Of course, Golden's defense has been spectacular in Notre Dame's two wins thus far in the College Football Playoff. Against No. 10 Indiana, which featured one of the top offenses in the country, the Fighting Irish allowed only 278 total yards while holding the Hoosiers to just 2.3 yards per rush on 27 carries in a 27-17 round-one victory.
Then, in the 23-10 Sugar Bowl win over No. 2 Georgia, Notre Dame surrendered only 296 total yards and 62 rushing yards. The Bulldogs managed to run for a meager 2.1 yards per carry on 29 attempts.
If Swinney wants to pursue Golden, he might have to be patient though given that the Irish could play in the National Championship Game on January 20 (provided they beat Penn State in Thursday night's Orange Bowl). However, it might be worth the wait if Clemson can land a coach with Golden's defensive resume.
Bringing in a coordinator like Golden would be a home-run hire for multiple reasons. Not only has he built one of the best defenses in the country in South Bend, but he's also got head coaching experience at the college level (at Temple and Miami). What's more, he's spent time in the NFL as an assistant with the Detroit Lions and Cincinnati Bengals.
Golden is also a known name from a blue-blood program and that's the type of candidate that would excite the Clemson faithful. So keep any eye on Golden because he appears to have emerged as Swinney's preferred choice to run the Tigers' defense.