Clayton White

Last updated

Clayton White
Current position
Title Defensive coordinator
Team South Carolina
Conference SEC
Biographical details
Born (1977-12-02) December 2, 1977 (age 46)
Dunn, North Carolina
Playing career
1997–2000 NC State
2001–2002 New York Giants
2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers*
Position(s) Linebacker
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2003 Jesse O. Sanderson HS (NC) (DB)
2004–2005 Western Carolina (DB/RC)
2006 Western Michigan (DB/ST)
2007–2009 Stanford (DB)
2010 Western Kentucky (co-STC/DB)
2011–2012 UConn (STC/RB)
2013–2016 NC State (co-STC/S)
2017–2020Western Kentucky (DC/CB)
2021–present South Carolina (DC)

Clayton White (born December 2, 1977) is an American football coach and former player who is serving as the defensive coordinator for the South Carolina Gamecocks. [1] Prior to being hired at South Carolina, he was the defensive coordinator for the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. He played college football for NC State.

Contents

Playing career

College

White grew up in Dunn, North Carolina, and attended Triton High School in nearby Erwin, where he played quarterback and linebacker. [2] Out of high school he attended North Carolina State University. He started at linebacker and special teams in 1999 and 2000. White set multiple records at NC State: career tackles for loss, single-season tackles for loss, and tackles in a single game. He graduated in 2001 with a degree in sports management. [3] [4]

NFL

In the NFL, he spent two seasons with the New York Giants as a linebacker and a special teamer. He played in every Giants game during the 2001 season. [5] White injured his knee during an April 2002 practice. He did not appear in a game during the 2002 season, and the Giants cut him in February 2003. He then signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but was cut during training camp prior to the start of the 2003 NFL season. [2]

Coaching career

Early coaching career

Following his release White turned to coaching, and was hired as an assistant coach at Sanderson High School in Raleigh, North Carolina, coaching defensive backs. Tim Gillespie, the head coach, was also a former NC State player. [2] He then spent 2004 and 2005 as Western Carolina's defensive backs coach. In 2006 he worked at Western Michigan as the team's defensive backs coach and special teams coordinator.

Stanford

From 2007 to 2009 White coached the defensive backs at Stanford.

Western Kentucky (first stint)

In 2010 White spent the season at WKU on Willie Taggart's first staff. [6] There he served as the Co-Special Teams Coordinator and Defensive Backs Coach.

UConn

White served as the special teams coordinator and running backs coach for the Huskies in 2011 and 2012. [3]

NC State

From 2013 to 2016 White worked as the co-special teams coordinator and safeties coach for NC State.

Western Kentucky (second stint)

In 2017 White returned to Western Kentucky as the team's defensive coordinator and cornerbacks coach. [4] He remained in that position until after the 2020 season.

South Carolina

In 2021 White was hired to be the defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach for the Gamecocks as a part of Shane Beamer's inaugural staff. [7] [8] [9]

Despite losing multiple players to graduation, injuries, and the transfer portal, White's 2021 defense over-achieved and tied Notre Dame for 11th in the nation in forced turnovers with 23 takeaways. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rod Wilson</span> American football player and coach (born 1981)

Rodriques Wilson is a former American football linebacker and coach who is a defensive assistant for the Kansas City Chiefs. He was selected by the Chicago Bears in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at South Carolina. He was also a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jacksonville Jaguars and Chicago Bears. He has also coached at Charleston Southern University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Holt</span> American football player and coach (born 1962)

Nicholas Holt V is an American football coach who is currently the head coach of Skorpions Varese of the Federazione Italiana di American Football. Previously he was co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Purdue University for three seasons from 2017 to 2019. Before that he was the defensive coordinator at Western Kentucky from 2013 to 2016. Earlier in his career, Holt was defensive coordinator and assistant head coach of the Washington Huskies, defensive coordinator and defensive line coach of the USC Trojans, and head coach of the Idaho Vandals from 2004 to 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Davis (American football coach)</span> American football player and coach (born 1965)

Bill Davis is an American football coach who is the linebackers coach for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL).

Isaiah "Mike" Caldwell, Jr. is an American football coach who is the linebackers coach & run game coordinator for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the defensive coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2022 to 2023. After the entire Jacksonville defensive staff was fired in early 2024, he joined the Las Vegas Raiders as their linebackers coach and run game coordinator.

Mark Snyder is an American football coach. He previously was the defensive line and linebackers coach for the Orlando Guardians of the XFL linebackers coach for the Houston Gamblers of the United States Football League (USFL). Snyder served as the head football coach at Marshall University from 2005 to 2009 after a four-year tenure as defensive coordinator at Ohio State University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football</span> College football team that represents Western Kentucky University

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football program is a college football team that represents Western Kentucky University. The team competes at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level and represents the university as a member of Conference USA in the Eastern division. The 2002 team was the FCS national champion. The program has 13 conference championships and 7 FBS-level bowl game victories. The Hilltoppers play their home games at Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium in Bowling Green, Kentucky and the team's head football coach is Tyson Helton.

David Elson is an American football coach. He is the defensive analyst at Wake Forest University, a position he has held since 2023. Elson served as head football coach at Western Kentucky University (WKU) from 2003 to 2009. He oversaw the transition of Western Kentucky from a Football Championship Subdivision to a Football Bowl Subdivision program, the highest division in college football; in his final season, the Hilltoppers joined the Sun Belt Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willie Taggart</span> American football player and coach (born 1976)

Willie Author Taggart is an American football coach who is the running backs coach for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He has held the head coach position at five NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision programs: Western Kentucky ; South Florida ; Oregon (2017); Florida State ; and Florida Atlantic. At all five schools, he was the first African-American to be hired as the head coach.

Kirk Randal Botkin is the former defensive coordinator for the South Carolina State University Bulldogs football team and a former American football tight end and long snapper who played four seasons in the NFL with the New Orleans Saints and the Pittsburgh Steelers. He has since coached football at the collegiate level. Botkin and his wife, the former Rebecca Holloway, have three children.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Reed (American football)</span> American football player and coach (born 1972)

Michael Jerome Reed is an American football coach and former player. He is the assistant head coach, special teams coordinator, and cornerbacks coach at Clemson University. He previously served as an assistant coach at North Carolina State University, Philadelphia Eagles, University of Richmond and Kiel Baltic Hurricanes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Travaris Robinson</span> American football player and coach (born 1981)

Travaris Jerod Robinson is an American football coach and former safety who is the co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach at the University of Georgia. Prior to that, he was the cornerbacks coach at the University of Alabama and the defensive backs coach at the University of Miami. He played college football at Auburn. Thereafter, he played professionally for the Atlanta Falcons and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL.

Manuel Alberto Diaz II is an American football coach who is the head football coach at Duke University. He previously served as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Pennsylvania State University from 2022 to 2023 and as the head football coach at the University of Miami from 2019 to 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shane Beamer</span> American football coach and former player (born 1977)

Shane Beamer is an American football coach and former player who is currently the head coach at the University of South Carolina. He is the son of former Virginia Tech football coach Frank Beamer.

Dave Huxtable is an American football coach who is the senior defensive assistant for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He served as the defensive coordinator at the North Carolina State University from 2013 to 2019. He previously served as the defensive coordinator of the Pittsburgh Panthers football team.

Blake Gideon is an American football coach and former player. He is currently Special teams coordinator coach at the University of Texas. As a player, Gideon started all 52 games at safety during his college football career at The University of Texas at Austin, which ranks second in school history. Afterwards, he played professionally for the Arizona Cardinals and the Denver Broncos of the NFL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lance Guidry</span> American football player and coach (born 1971)

Lance Guidry is an American football coach and former player. He is the defensive coordinator at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida, a position he has held since the 2023 season. Guidry served as the head football coach at McNeese State University from 2016 to 2018. He was also the interim head football coach at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio for one game in 2010 and at Western Kentucky University for one game in 2012. Guidry played college football as a defensive back at McNeese State from 1990 to 1993. He was a four-year starter, a team captain, and a two-time All-Southland Conference selection. Guidry ranks 17th on the McNeese all-time tackle leader board and also 10th in interceptions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brent Pry</span> American football player and coach (born 1970)

Brenton James Pry is an American football coach and former player who is currently the head coach at Virginia Tech. He previously served as the defensive coordinator at Penn State from 2016 to 2021. He played college football for the Buffalo Bulls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 South Carolina Gamecocks football team</span> American college football season

The 2021 South Carolina Gamecocks football team represented the University of South Carolina in the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The season marked the Gamecocks' 128th overall season, and 30th as a member of the SEC East Division. The Gamecocks played their home games at Williams–Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina, and were led by first-year head coach Shane Beamer.

Brad White is an American football coach who is currently the defensive coordinator and outside linebackers coach at the University of Kentucky.

Stu Holt is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the running backs coach and special teams coordinator for Virginia Tech, coaching under first-year head coach Brent Pry. Holt is also the assistant head coach-offense for the Hokies. He played college football for North Carolina from 1992 to 1995.

References

  1. Morris, Julia (January 9, 2021). "Reports: South Carolina hiring Western Kentucky DC Clayton White". WYFF. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Myatt, Al (October 14, 2003). "A pro coach". The News and Observer . p. 32. Retrieved January 9, 2021 via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  3. 1 2 CONNER, DESMOND (June 9, 2011). "Getting To Know A UConn Football Coach: Clayton White". courant.com. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  4. 1 2 "White named WKU's defensive coordinator". The Daily News . December 30, 2016. p. 32. Retrieved January 10, 2021 via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  5. "Clayton White Stats Summary". NFL.com. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  6. Baumgardner, Nick (January 15, 2010). "Taggart tabs Clayton White as DB coach". Bowling Green Daily News. The Daily News. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
  7. "Getting to know Clayton White and the new Gamecocks defense". TheBigSpur. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
  8. "Clayton White was happy to see South Carolina's response to ECU's opening TD: 'I was kind of shocked'". Saturday Down South. September 15, 2021. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
  9. Elsey, Jacob (January 11, 2021). "South Carolina football: Gamecocks agree to terms with Clayton White". Garnet and Cocky. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
  10. "NCAA College Football FBS current team Stats". NCAA.com. Retrieved October 28, 2023.