Chris Rumph

• Returned to Clemson in December 2023 with more than 25 years of coaching experience at the high school, college and NFL levels.

• Coached his first game back at Clemson in the 2023 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.

• Spent the previous four years in the NFL after 17 years of Division I experience from 2003-19 with some of the biggest name brands in college football. As a college coach, he has coached 25 NFL Draft picks, including first-round selections Gaines Adams, Taven Bryan and Malcom Brown.

• In his first stint at Clemson from 2006-10, he contributed to the success of two of the most decorated defensive ends in program history. In 2006, he worked with Adams, who became the second unanimous All-American in program history that season before being selected with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft. In 2010, he guided junior Da’Quan Bowers as Bowers led the nation in sacks (15.5) and tackles for loss (26.0) en route to winning both the Nagurski Trophy and the Ted Hendricks Award.

• Said Rumph upon his return: “For me, this is coming home. Clemson is a great fit for me and my family in terms of the town and the quality of the people. The passion of the fan base is second-to-none… Clemson is a program that has won consistently and won at the highest levels under Coach Swinney. I am excited to do my part to return the program where it aspires to be and once again have Clemson in the College Football Playoff and competing for national championships year in and year out.“

• Head Coach Dabo Swinney added, “I wanted someone with NFL experience — and he certainly brings that — and I was looking for the right recruiting fit as someone who grew up in this state and played in this state. We’ve had a great relationship for a long time now and, honestly, he was a guy that almost came back a couple of other times over the years, but this is the right time and I’m excited to welcome him back and him continuing the great tradition we’ve had with our defensive ends.”

• Rumph spent four years in the NFL, including two as defensive line coach with the Minnesota Vikings across the 2022-23 seasons. He served in the same capacity for the Chicago Bears in 2021, helping the Bears to 49 sacks, fourth-most in the NFL.

• Made his NFL coaching debut coaching outside linebackers for the Houston Texans in 2020.

• Oversaw outside linebackers along with co-coordinator duties at Tennessee for the 2018-19 seasons. His arrival coincided with the Vols jumping 74 spots nationally in run defense.

• Served as Florida’s defensive line coach from 2015-16 before adding co-defensive coordinator duties in 2017. Helped five Gator defensive linemen become NFL Draft picks across the 2016-18 NFL Drafts: Taven Bryan (2018), Caleb Brantley (2017), Joey Ivie (2017), Alex McCalister (2016) and Jonathan Bullard (2016).

• Served as Texas’ assistant head coach and defensive line coach in 2014, helping defensive tackle Malcom Brown earn consensus All-America honors.

• From 2011-13, helped Alabama produce six NFL Draft picks along his defensive line in addition to helping the Crimson Tide bring home national championships in both 2011 and 2012. In both of those national title-winning seasons, Rumph’s group contributed to Alabama leading the nation in both total defense and scoring defense.

• Rumph’s defensive line helped the Crimson Tide allow just 10.9 points per game, 250.0 yards per game and 76.4 yards rushing per game. Alabama shut out top-ranked LSU in the national title game by a score of 21-0, and Alabama surrendered just five first downs and allowed LSU to cross the 50-yard line just once the entire game.

• A year earlier, Rumph’s first Alabama line was part of a unit that allowed just 8.2 points per game and gave up 183.6 total yards per contest, the fewest by an FBS team in records dating to 1996.

• Made his full-time college coaching debut as defensive backs coach at South Carolina State in 2002 before becoming the outside linebackers coach at Memphis from 2003-05.

• Served as head coach at Calhoun (S.C.) County High School from 1997-2001.

• Played collegiately at South Carolina, where he was a four-year letterman as a linebacker from 1991-94. He earned a bachelor’s degree in retail management from South Carolina in 1994 and later returned to the university as a graduate assistant for the spring of 1997.

• Native of St. Matthews, S.C.