Nick Eason

• Returned home to his alma mater on Jan. 7, 2022 upon being hired as Clemson’s defensive run game coordinator and defensive tackles coach. Added the title of Associate Head Coach in 2024.

• Veteran of 17 combined NFL seasons as a player and coach.

• Produced multiple All-ACC honores in 2023 in first-team selection Tyler Davis and third-team selection Ruke Orhorhoro in addition to mentoring Peter Woods amid a Freshman All-America debut campaign. Clemson’s interior helped the defense finish eighth in the nation in both total defense and passing defense while ranking 24th in rushing yards allowed per game.

• In his first season at Clemson in 2022, helped Davis earn All-America honors, a first-team All-ACC selection and a semifinalist nod for the Chuck Bednarik Award in addition to helping Bryan Bresee to the No. 29 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft.

• His defensive tackles produced 14 of Clemson’s 44 sacks and 31 of its 111 tackles for loss as the Tigers finished in the top four in the nation in both categories in 2022.

• In his first year in the conference, he earned 247Sports’ ACC Recruiter of the Year for his first recruiting cycle, which ended on National Signing Day in 2023.

• Said Head Coach Dabo Swinney upon Eason’s hiring: “Nick is the epitome of what I look for in a coach. He has an incredible passion for the game, he has got a great background and he truly loves the player. In this hire, I really wanted a guy who had great experience at the NFL level. I wanted somebody who has coached the best of the best at the highest level, and that’s exactly what he’s done. He was a great player at Clemson and he’s a great Clemson man.”

• Prior to returning to Clemson, he served as defensive line coach at Auburn in 2021, helping the Tigers to their largest sack total since 2018.

• Coached a defensive interior that helped Auburn allow the third-fewest yards per carry in the SEC and finish fourth in the conference in tackles for loss in 2021.

• Served as outside linebackers and defensive line coach for the Cincinnati Bengals from 2019-20. In his first season, Eason led significant improvement in the Bengals’ defensive line as the season progressed, notching an 11-sack improvement and an 84.1-yard reduction in yards per game in the final eight games of the season as compared to the first eight games.

• Helped Bengals defensive tackle Geno Atkins earn his eighth career Pro Bowl selection.

• Briefly served as a defensive assistant at Austin Peay for part of 2018.

• Was hired by the Tennessee Titans in 2014 and helped oversee Tennessee’s transition from a 4-3 to a 3-4 front.

• Spent two seasons as an assistant defensive line coach for the Titans from 2014-15 before becoming the Titans’ outside linebackers and defensive line coach in 2016-17.

• Helped defensive tackle Jurrell Casey to the first three of his five career Pro Bowl selections to date through 2021 in those four years.

• Began his transition to coaching in 2013 as a coaching intern for the Cleveland Browns, for whom he had previously played three seasons from 2004-06.

• Was a four-year letterman at Clemson from 1999-2002, playing 47 games with 35 starts and recording 15 sacks and 30 tackles for loss.

• Among those who he played with at Clemson were former Clemson offensive coordinators Tony Elliott, Jeff Scott and Brandon Streeter.

• Was a team captain, All-ACC selection and Strength & Conditioning All-American at Clemson. He was a two-time Dedication Award winner as awarded by the Clemson strength & conditioning staff.

• Selected to the AFCA Good Works Team in 2000 and was the first five-time Clemson recipient of the ACC Top Six award, which was presented annually to the conference’s top student-athletes in terms of community involvement.

• Became the first Clemson football player to graduate with two years of eligibility remaining after earning a degree in sociology in August 2001. He later added a master’s degree in human resource development in 2008.

• Was a fourth-round selection by the Denver Broncos in the 2003 NFL Draft, but he spent his rookie season on the Reserve/Injured list after suffering an Achilles injury during training camp.

• Played 117 NFL games over 10 seasons from 2003-12 with the Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals.

• Finished his playing career with the Cardinals, where he spent two seasons from 2011-12, appearing in 32 games and registering two sacks.

• Spent four seasons (2007-10) with the Steelers and helped them to two Super Bowl appearances, including a victory in Super Bowl XLIII in the 2008 season.