DeAndre McDaniel

• Added the role of Clemson’s nickelbacks coach to his duties as Clemson’s senior defensive assistant in 2024.

• Though 2025 is his second season in an on-field, full-time coaching role, he is entering his 11th season on Clemson’s staff in a graduate, support or coaching capacity.

• Has been part of Clemson staffs that led the Tigers to a 119-21 record with eight ACC titles, seven College Football Playoff berths, four CFP National Championship Game appearances and two national titles since his arrival in 2015.

• Originally returned to his alma mater in 2015 as a graduate assistant.

• Spent three seasons as a graduate assistant, helping the Tigers to a 40-4 record in that span with three College Football Playoff berths, two CFP National Championship Game appearances and the 2016 national title.

• Hired to a full-time off-field role in 2018 as a defensive analyst, assisting Clemson’s coaching staff en route to the Tigers’ 15-0 national championship season in his first year in that role.

• Spent the 2018-21 seasons as a defensive analyst before being promoted to the senior defensive assistant role in 2022.

• Upon NCAA deregulation of on-field coaching restrictions in 2024, he added the official purview of Clemson’s nickelbacks in an on-field capacity to his role as senior defensive assistant.

• Has contributed to Clemson coaching and support staffs that have produced 14 All-ACC defensive backs in his tenure: Mackensie Alexander (2015), Jayron Kearse (2015), Cordrea Tankersley (2015-16), Jadar Johnson (2016), Trayvon Mullen (2017-18), Tanner Muse (2018-19), A.J. Terrell (2018-19), K’Von Wallace (2019), Andrew Booth Jr. (2020-21), Derion Kendrick (2020), Mario Goodrich (2021), Andrew Mukuba (2021), Nate Wiggins (2023) and Avieon Terrell (2024).

• Was a distinguished four-year letterman at Clemson from 2007-10.

• Collected multiple All-America honors, including first-team selections from the Football Writers Association of America, CBS Sports and Phil Steele in 2009 and third-team selections by Rivals and Phil Steele in 2010.

• Earned induction into the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame in 2023.

• Finished college career with 296 tackles (18.5 for loss), 15 interceptions, 20 pass breakups, three forced fumbles, two sacks and a fumble recovery in 53 career games with 35 starts.

• Garnered first-team All-ACC honors in 2009 and 2010.

• Led the ACC and tied for third in the nation in interceptions in 2009 (eight). He was the only player in the nation that season to record at least 100 tackles and at least eight interceptions.

• His eight interceptions in 2009 tied Robert O’Neal (1989) and Justin Miller (2002) for the most in a season in Clemson history.

• As of 2025, his 2,750 career snaps are the second-most by a Clemson defensive back on record.

• Famously gave a postgame locker room speech following his final game at Clemson in 2010, a season in which Clemson finished 6-7 with a bowl defeat in Dabo Swinney’s second full season. He urged his returning teammates to buy into Swinney’s vision for the program, setting the stage for Clemson’s record-setting run to follow.

• Signed with the New Orleans Saints as a college free agent in 2011 and spent time on the rosters of the Saints, Indianapolis Colts and San Diego Chargers from 2011-12.

• Is a two-time Clemson graduate, earning his undergraduate degree in sociology in 2010 and adding a master’s degree in athletic leadership in 2017.

• Native of Tallahassee, Fla. who signed with Clemson over nearby Florida State and other prominent programs in 2006 and spent the 2006 season at Hargrave (Va.) Military Academy before matriculating at Clemson.