Clemson Football coaching staff could grow a lot bigger after NCAA adopts new rule

While court settlements and structural changes to the NCAA have dominated the headlines this summer, another big change that could have a major impact on Clemson Football could be right around the corner.

On3’s Pete Nakos says the NCAA Division I Council will vote on expanding the coaching staffs of Division I football programs this week.

Essentially, the new rule could allow employees previously considered analysts to have direct on-the-field roles during practices and games. There would be no limit on how many true coaches were allowed per team.

For programs like Clemson that have employed a large support staff, this could be a game changer.

For example, someone like DeAndre McDaniel, who is a Senior Defensive Assistant on the support staff, can now directly interact with the safeties both during practice and during games.

Several others have served in a similar capacity that would now assume the role of ‘coach’ in both title and function. A player like Tajh Boyd could take the official role of quarterbacks coach while Garrett Riley focuses solely on his offensive coordinator duties. A person who is currently an analyst could now be designated specifically as a special teams coordinator.

Recruiting off campus would still be limited to only eleven personnel, but each program can designate which personnel could perform that function.

The NCAA Division I Council comprises 40 members who represent all 32 DI conferences at both the FBS and FCS levels.

Former Wyoming and North Dakota State head coach Craig Bohl, who is now the executive director of the American Football Association, said this in March.

"This is probably the most common-sense approach that we could make. For years, we’ve had analysts and quality control coaches who have had a desire to coach. So much has changed with the landscape with players now being compensated. To be concerned that you’re going to have an assistant quarterbacks coach out there coaching is counter-productive. It’s been a compliance nightmare."

- Craig Bohl

While former Alabama head coach Nick Saban famously used his analyst staff as a ‘rehab’ for coaches who had lost jobs, Swinney has used his analyst positions mostly to give younger people who want to break into the profession practical experience.

Time will tell if this change will adjust Clemson’s use and size of the full support staff, but according to Chapel Fowler, Swinney is a fan of the change.