Clemson Safety Joining Samford University Coaching Staff Next Season

A long-time safety with the Tigers will be taking after a member of his family, already on the transfer portal hunt at his new school.

Clemson safety Tyler Venables has joined Samford as a nickel coach, according to his social media. | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Fans of the Clemson Tigers are familiar with the name Tyler Venables, a fan favorite among many during his six-year career. Now, they will be supporting him as a coach next season.

Venables will be joining the coaching staff at Samford University, uniting with other Clemson assistants, already asking players in the transfer portal to send highlight reels for next season. He will be a nickelback coach.

I’m coaching the NICKELS at Samford University
I need some dudes who are FAST, VIOLENT, and DESPERATE to make PLAYS 💥⚡️
🔺If you are in the Portal…. Send me your TAPE 🎥

— Tyler Venables (@tvenables_) January 7, 2026

Venables is obviously the son of former defensive coordinator at Clemson, Brent Venables, who is now the head coach at Oklahoma. He spent six seasons with the Tigers, beginning in the 2020 season, but injuries derailed his playing career in 2022-23.

While medically redshirting and rehabbing from a hip injury in 2023, he became a student coach, helping the others while slowly recovering from his injuries. His leadership allowed him, when he returned to the football field, to be voted as a permanent team captain this past season, which would be his last in a Clemson uniform.

During the season, when Venables asked what was next, he did have coaching on his mind.

"Take some time off and, you know, and then try to get my foot in the door and start coaching, hopefully," he said in November.

It doesn't seem like Venables took that time off, immediately promoting his new school and getting to work as an assistant. He will join plenty of former Clemson staffers, who are led by former Clemson offensive analyst John Grass.

The Clemson native will also be joining his brother, Jake, who is the director of football strength and conditioning with the Bulldogs. Other notable names include head coach Dabo Swinney's son, Drew, as the wide receivers coach, former safeties coach Mickey Conn, the defensive coordinator and former quarterback Paul Tyson, who is now Samford's quarterbacks coach now.

For many Clemson players, Venables was an important player in the room. Being more of a leader, the younger players leaned on the graduate safety and the lessons that he was able to teach them. It's very similar to his father, and safeties like Ricardo Jones were influenced by that.

"He helps me with everything," Jones said in the summer. "If I want to meet off the field and just go over some plays, he's there. If I'm on the field, and I have a question, T-Bone's right there to enter. T-Bone's a good vet that I really need in my room, and he keeps me level-headed. Any time I got a question, I go to T-Bone."

Venables finishes his Clemson career with 63 games played, recording 94 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, a sack and an interception. Now, he will look to follow in his father's footsteps as a coach with plenty of faces he already knows.