Longtime Clemson Coach Retires, Successor Revealed

Dabo Swinney has announced a new strength coach following the retirement of a mainstay in the Clemson Tigers football program

Dabo Swinney will have a new strength coach after Batson's retirement | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

After spending nearly 30 years with the program, longtime Clemson Tigers strength coach Joey Batson will be retiring at the end of this season.

The decision was first announced back in April, but it was unclear how long he would remain with the program as they searched for a replacement. 

During Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney’s press conference on Tuesday, he revealed that assistant strength coach Dennis Love would be serving as Batson’s successor. 

“This is where he wanted to be, this is what he's always wanted to do. He's trained for it forever,” Swinney said. “He's very different. He's been at a bunch of places, he's a different person. Different leadership style, different communication style. He's learned a lot from Joey, who has been amazing, but he'll put his own stamp on it … He's incredibly smart, very detailed, knows the kids, has great relationships and resources all across the country.”

According to Swinney, Love was a hot commodity in his field, even turning down a job offer from the Minnesota Vikings, which helps explain Clemson’s delay in officially announcing his hire.

"We didn't have a choice. It was either that or he was going to be the strength coach for the Vikings right then,” Swinney said. “This has been a dream job for him. He's one of the most respected guys out there. That's why he had the opportunity to be one of 32 NFL guys. It's who he is, his reputation. Guys come from all over to train with him. He's done that for years. That was a tough 24 hours for him to make a decision like that, but it all worked out.”

While Batson leaves behind decades of experience, Love is also incredibly familiar with the program, having worked at Clemson for 15 years.

His first stint at Clemson came from 2004 to 2014, when he served as the program's director of Olympic sports strength & conditioning while also serving as the head strength coach for the baseball, men’s soccer and women’s volleyball teams. 

The South Carolina native went on to spend two years coaching in the NFL, even winning a Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos while serving as the team’s assistant strength & conditioning coach.

He then returned to the college ranks, serving as Purdue’s associate director of football from 2017-20 and Auburn’s assistant strength and conditioning coach during the 2021 season.

Love is expected to kick off his tenure as Clemson’s head strength coach in January of 2026.