South Carolina Head Coach Shane Beamer is set to hire Clayton White as your defensive coordinator, according to a report by Pete Thamel from Yahoo Sports. White, one twice nominated for the Frank Broyles Award (2017 and 2019) has just ended his fourth season as a defensive coordinator and cornerback coach for Western Kentucky.
Stay tuned to TheBigSpur.com for further developments on this coaching news.
White’s Coaching Career
2003: Sanderson (NC) HS (Defensive Backs)
2004-05: Western Carolina (Defensive Backs / Recruitment Coordinator)
2006: Western Michigan (Defensive Backs / Special Teams)
2009-09: Stanford (Defensive Backs)
2010: WKU (Co-Special Team Coordinator / Defensive Backs)
2011-12: Connecticut (Coordinator of special teams / Running Backs)
2013-16: NC State (Co-Special Teams / Security Coordinator)
2017-2020: WKU (Defensive Coordinator / Cornerbacks)
Below is information about White’s career prior to his tenure in Western Kentucky, via wkusports.com
At NC State, safety Josh Jones led Wolfpack in 109 tackles and three interceptions. The NC State defense ranked 24th nationally, allowing only 352.8 yards per game, and 8th national in fast defense, limiting opponents to 108.5 yards per game on the ground. It was the second consecutive season that Wolfpack’s defense achieved a ranking of the top 30 nationally.
In 2015, the Wolfpack defense ranked 29th in FBS in total defense, 39th in precipitated defense, 36th in passing yards allowed, 29th in first down defense, 42nd in interceptions, 34th in third down defense and 35th in TFL and sacks. NC State was also one of only two schools on FBS to finish in the Top 20 at Kickoff Return and Punt Return. The defensive back of NC State Dontae Johnson, a white disciple, was selected in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers.
Before his time at Raleigh, White spent two seasons in Connecticut (2011-12) coordinating the special teams and leading the running backs. While in Storrs, the Huskies drew the national lead with three punt returns for touchdowns and led Big East with an average return of 12.5 punt, good for No. 18 nationally. Running back Lyle McCombs was named an FWAA Freshman All-American under White’s direction, becoming only the second Husky to run for more than 1,000 yards in his freshman campaign.
White spent a season at Bowling Green on Willie Taggart’s first team in 2010 and helped build the WKU program during the transition from FCS to FBS. He helped hire future WKU stars, including Cam Thomas, Xavius Boyd, Bar’ee Boyd and Tyree Robinson in the 2010 autograph class.
A three-year stint at Stanford preceded his first stint at The Hill, where he coached Cardinal’s defensive backs, including future professional NFL player Richard Sherman and future NFL players Michael Thomas, Johnson Bademosi and Delano Howell. The cardinal rose to 14th place in the polls in 2009 and achieved a bowl game for the first time since 2001 that year.
White also had stints at Western Michigan (2006) and Western Carolina (2004-05), after a three-year career in the NFL with the New York Giants (2001-02) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2003). A three-year letterman in the linebacker at NC State (1997-2000), White ended his career with his name in the Wolfpack record book in several categories, including career tackles for defeat (33), one-season tackles for defeat ( 16) and tackles in a single game (23).
Graduated in 2001 in sports management from NC State, White and his wife Kelly have two children, Chase and Macy.