As the year goes on, more and more obstacles pop up in the way of Auburn football. The latest blow comes today with the reports that defensive line coach Nick Eason is expected to take a job under Dabo Swinney at Clemson.
Eason coached in the NFL for many years prior to his one season on the Plains, and before that was a star on Clemson’s defensive line, earning first-team All-ACC honors in 2002. He was drafted in 2003 and played nine seasons in the NFL, even winning a Super Bowl.
During his time with Auburn football, Eason coached arguably the best position group on the team and was key in the development of many defensive players this season. However, when your alma mater calls it’s hard to say no.
Clemson is expected to hire Auburn’s Nick Eason, a former Clemson and NFL defensive lineman, as a defensive line coach, a source tells @on3sportshttps://t.co/PtjjA84ypq
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) January 5, 2022
247 Sports reports that Eason was the key recruiter for several of the Tigers’ big commits in 2022, including Jeffrey M’Ba, Enyce Sledge, and Caden Story. Though this could explain Story’s hesitancy to sign during the early period in December, M’Ba confirmed on Twitter that he would not be going anywhere and has fully bought into head coach Bryan Harsin’s vision:
Im going nowhere , I trust what @CoachHarsin og building here #wde
— jeffrey m’ba (@jeffrey_mbaa) January 5, 2022
Harsin and defensive coordinator Derek Mason will have to work to find a replacement for Eason should he officially make the move to Clemson, but the defensive line remains in good shape in terms of recruiting so they should be able to take their time and find a quality coach for one of the best defenses in the league.
After just securing a new offensive coordinator in Austin Davis, Harsin and his staff are already on the search for another key position coach for the 2022 season.