Two Clemson Staffers Depart Program for On-Field Assistant Gigs

The Clemson Tigers are seeing two of its young staffers take assistant coaching gigs at Samford.

The Clemson Tigers are seeing two of its young staffers take assistant coaching gigs at Samford. | Anderson Independent Mail-Imagn Images

As the 2025 college football season winds down, the offseason movement is already starting to take shape.

Two former Clemson Tigers staffers are set to join the coaching staff at Samford, each stepping into new roles as position coaches.

Birmingham Sports on Monday reported that head coach Dabo Swinney’s son, Drew, would be moving on from his position as Clemson’s assistant wide receivers coach to become Samford’s wide receivers coach. Former Tigers’ offensive player development intern Paul Tyson will also be joining the staff as the quarterbacks coach.

Aside from their coaching experience, both coaches have also recently spent time in the orange and white as players.

Swinney appeared in 40 games throughout his time with the Tigers, hauling in 14 passes for 96 yards while averaging 6.9 yards per catch. 

Clemson's Drew Swinney (right) will coach wide receivers at Samford. | Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

He also served as Clemson’s primary placeholder during his final season in 2022, where he scored his first career points after rushing for a two-point conversion on a fake PAT. That season, he was also named to the ACC All-Academic Team.

Tyson’s resume is a bit more intriguing, however. 

The Trussville, Alabama native spent the first three seasons of his collegiate career playing for the Alabama Crimson Tide, where he appeared in 13 games as a backup quarterback and placeholder. After transferring from Alabama following the 2021 season, he made a brief stop at Arizona State University before transferring to Clemson.

After he announced that he would be heading to Clemson, Swinney expressed his excitement to be adding the transfer quarterback.

"Paul Tyson is a guy that we recruited a little bit in high school," Swinney said. "One of the most prolific passers in the history of the state of Alabama coming out of high school. We had a gap. So we needed to get a veteran guy."

Former Clemson Tigers quarterback Paul Tyson is now set to be Samford's quarterbacks coach. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Unio / USA TODAY NETWORK

Tyson spent two seasons with the Tigers, filling a unique player/coach role during his final season at Clemson. During each of his seasons at Clemson, he earned a spot on the ACC’s Honor Roll.

While appearing in 18 games throughout his collegiate career, Tyson totaled 192 passing yards and a touchdown. He earned his masters degree in athletic leadership from Clemson in 2024.

Similarly to Drew Swinney, Tyson also has a coaching legend on his pedigree. He is the great-grandson of College Football Hall of Fame coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, who won six National Championships and 14 SEC Championships with the Crimson Tide.