Clemson football's incredible journey to becoming Alabama's equal

Clemson football’s incredible journey to becoming Alabama’s equal

SANTA CLARA, CA - JANUARY 07: Head coach Dabo Swinney of the Clemson Tigers celebrates his teams 44-16 win over the Alabama Crimson Tide with the trophy in the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T at Levi's Stadium on January 7, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

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January 19, 2012

After getting emasculated by the West Virginia Mountaineers, Clemson decided to part ways with now-Auburn defensive coordinator Kevin Steele. The Tigers found themselves in a similar position from the season prior, searching for a new coordinator.

Their gamble with Chad Morris was already paying dividends but they needed someone who could develop talent on the defensive side of the ball. With the hire of Mike Stoops at Oklahoma, there were rumors circulating that defensive coordinator Brent Venables could be on his way out.

After missing meetings with recruits Kevin Peterson and Daniel Brooks, it was speculated that Venables had found a new home and it was announced on January 19, 2012, that he had accepted the position at Clemson. He would improve Clemson’s defense bit by bit over the next few seasons before turning them into one of the best defenses in the nation in 2014.

Oklahoma has since fired Mike Stoops after a change of head coach and multiple seasons of atrocious defenses.

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