Clemson’s New-Look Staff Reflects Dabo Swinney’s Turn Toward Experience

Two seasons ago, Clemson had Garrett Riley, Wes Goodwin and Will Gilchrist as the leaders of the offense, defense and special teams, respectively. In the offseason of 2026, none of them were there anymore.

There’s been a lot of scrutiny at the top under head coach Dabo Swinney, who switched from Goodwin to Tom Allen in the offseason of 2025 and then hired Chad Morris as offensive coordinator back in January. Both hires saw a trend, going from a younger coordinator to an older, experienced playcaller.

Swinney continued that trend this week with the hire of longtime NFL special teams coach Rich Bisaccia to bring more experience to the program. The 65-year-old is another example of the transition to more-experienced coaches to bring back the intensity from the Tigers of years past.

Despite the similar move at every coaching staff choice, Swinney said that it was just a coincidence that he went older with each group.

“That really hadn’t been the emphasis; it’s just how it’s worked out,” he said on Wednesday. “I mean, if Chad Morris was, if he was 42, I’d have hired him anyway. It’s more just a comfort zone and, just trying to hire the best who I felt like was the best for the job.”

The same goes for Allen, a 55-year-old who Clemson just thought was the best choice to make out of the bunch that was interviewed.

“When I hired Tom, I just felt like he was the best guy, you know, with the people that I interviewed and talked to,” Swinney said. “I just felt like he was the best guy; his age didn’t have anything to do with it.

The Bisaccia hire was one that Swinney always had in mind over his coaching career, but the long-time special teams coordinator in the NFL just never had the timing work out to return to Clemson. That changed during this offseason, and the Tigers’ head coach got some words from some of his former players.

While the interim head coach with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021, some of the Clemson alums on that team had positive things to say about the 65-year-old, watching their former head coach go to the school that they made a name for themselves.

“Clelin [Ferrell] FaceTimed me today, you know John Simpson, [Hunter] Renfrow, all these guys are all just so fired up,” Swinney said. “There’s one thing I can say about Rich is, man, his players love him. He is an incredibly well-respected man.”

Immediately, the impacts were seen. Wednesday afternoon allowed the media to see bits and pieces of the Tigers’ practice, and Bisaccia was coaching up the special teams in one of the first drills to begin the practice. Swinney wants him to hit the ground running right away, and the presence that he’s brought has already made a difference.

New Clemson special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia (in the black hoodie/hat) working his first spring practice this afternoon after being hired this morning. He’s getting right to work supervising the field goal protection team pic.twitter.com/yJEf6zuOeP
— Chapel Fowler (@chapelfowler) March 4, 2026

Clemson has been on the wrong side of special teams in recent years, whether it comes to allowing return touchdowns or blocked field goals. That standard will change under the Tigers’ new special teams coordinator.

“I think he’s the best out there and had an opportunity to hire the best and not just somebody because of his age or somebody, but I know him,” Swinney said. “I’ve had a relationship with him, and just the timing, it worked out."