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Here's how much Clemson owes former football defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin after firing
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- Here's how much Clemson owes former football defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin after firing
CLEMSON — Clemson football fired former defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin on Monday after three seasons, triggering a university buyout.
Goodwin earned a $550,000 raise and one-year contract extension in February 2024, increasing his salary to $1.4 million last season (second-highest-paid assistant on the staff), after Clemson's defense ranked eighth in total defense in 2023. His efforts that season resulted in a nomination for the Broyles Award, given annually to the nation's top assistant.
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Goodwin's $1.4 million salary was tied for 29th nationally with four other coache s in assistant pay last season, according to the usatoday.com database. However, Clemson's defensive production regressed, ranking 69th in total defense in FBS and 84th in rushing defense. As a result, Tigers coach Dabo Swinney moved on from Goodwin with two years left on his deal.
Here's how much Clemson owes Goodwin.
How much Clemson football owes Wes Goodwin after firing
Clemson terminated Goodwin's contract early without cause, meaning he is owed the remainder of his contract ($3.1 million): $1.5 million in 2025 and $1.6 million in 2026. However, his buyout can be reduced if he finds another job, triggering mitigation.
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Mitigation happens when an employee finds new employment, and the person's buyout amount owed is reduced by the amount earned at the new job during the remainder of the terminated contract.
If Goodwin had taken a new job before getting fired, he would have owed Clemson 25% of his remaining salary ($775,000), though the university had the discretion to waive that.
MORE: Clemson football defensive coordinator candidates to replace Wes Goodwin for Dabo Swinney
How much Wes Goodwin earned in bonuses in 2024
Goodwin earned several performance incentives in 2024, thanks to Clemson winning the ACC championship and making the CFP. He earned $69,000 for Clemson winning the conference title game, and $51,750 for the Tigers making the first round of the CFP.
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If Clemson had won the national championship, his $51,750 payout would have increased to $138,000. If the Tigers had a Top 5 total relative defense and total defense, he would have earned $200,000.
Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: How much Clemson owes former football assistant Wes Goodwin after firing
