The Clemson University’s Board of Trustees Compensation Committee approved new contracts for Clemson’s nine other on the field football coaches Thursday at the Madren Center in Clemson.
Clemson’s assistant football coaches received a combined $560,000 in raises from the previous year, counting the hire of Lemanski Hall as the new defensive ends coach. Hall was hired last month as Clemson’s 10th on the field assistant coach.
In all, Clemson’s 10 assistant coaches will make $6.585 million in 2018, led by defensive coordinator Brent Venables’ $300,000 raise. Venables’ total compensation is now $2.0 million, up from $1.7 million in 2017.
Clemson is coming off a 12-2 season, the program’s seventh-straight 10-win season, and third straight appearance in the College Football Playoff. The Tigers also won a third straight ACC Championship, the first time that has happened since the 1986-’88 error.
Clemson athletic director Dan Radakovich said after another great season, it was important to his department to make sure Dabo Swinney’s staff was awarded with the compensation they deserve.
“It is very important,” Radakovich said. “We have been very fortunate the last few years to be able to have really good resources to be able to sit down with Coach Swinney and have him take the lead because he works with these guys each and every day and everybody inside that building. To be able to get his input and to be able to create the salary opportunities for not only the on the field coaches, but the administrative folks and the support personnel as well.
“We kind of pulled together a pool of money that we think is available within our total athletic department budget and Coach and I sat down and moved through it, and you saw the result of that today.”
Last year, Swinney’s on the field coaches received a combined $700,075 increase in salary after winning the 2016 National Championship.
Venables’ new salary ranks second nationally among assistant coaches behind LSU’s Dave Aranda, who will reportedly make $2.5 million next season as its defensive coordinator.
“There was a little part of that associated with (Venables’ raise) for sure,” Radakovich said. “Obviously, Brent has done an incredible job as our defensive coordinator and the results on the field show it.”
In all, Venables’ deal is three years and is worth $6.0 million. Venables was on a one-year contract last year.
“There is (a level of commitment on both sides) and I think as we move ahead, we do the things that are necessary to make sure that he stays here,” Radakovich said.
Aranda and Venables are the only two football assistant coaches in the country to make $2 million or more.
Venables’ new contract details that if Clemson is a Top-10 relative defense, Venables will receive a $50,000 bonus or a $100,000 for a Top-5 relative defense. In addition, he will receive a $50,000 bonus for a defense ranking in the Top-10 for total defense or $100,000 for a Top-5 total defense. Those metrics will be determined by the Sports Source Analytics on the Monday following the ACC Championship Game.
Clemson ranked second in scoring defense this year and fourth in total defense in 2017.
Co-offensive coordinators Tony Elliott and Jeff Scott signed three-year deals as well, with each receiving a $50,000 raise. Both will make $850,000 annually.
Clemson football coaches’ salaries for $2018
Defensive coordinator Brent Venables: $2.0 million, last year made $1.7 million
Co-offensive coordinator Tony Elliott: $850,000, last year made $800,000
Co-offensive coordinator Jeff Scott: $850,000, last year made $800,000
Safeties Coach Mickey Conn: $370,000, last year made $350,000
Defensive tackles coach Todd Bates: $300,000, last year made $250,000
Offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell: $540,000, last year made $465,000
Defensive ends coach Lemanski Hall: $300,000, last year was a defensive analyst coach
Tight ends coach Danny Pearman: $480,000, last year made $460,000
Cornerbacks coach Mike Reed: $440,000, last year made $420,000
Quarterbacks Coach Brandon Streeter: $455,000, last year made $430,000