Auburn football: How Dabo Swinney offered Nick Eason Clemson DL coach job

Apparently, former Auburn football DL coach Nick Eason didn’t even know he was on his alma mater’s radar just 10 minutes before he was offered the same role for the Clemson Tigers.

Dabo Swinney surprised him with a follow-up phone call after he had connected by phone with a colleague in a similar boat (wanting to return as a coach to where he played) and the rest was history.

Jimmy Brumbaugh replaced Eason on January 21st–before Bryan Harsin’s name was dragged through the fire by the Auburn Board of Trustees–but the loss of a respected name who was one of Auburn football’s strongest recruiters was one of the biggest setbacks of the offseason.

Eason told the story of how a conversation with a coach in similar shoes preceded him acquiring his dream job:

"I was actually talking to a coach who had (interviewed) to become the defensive line coach at his alma mater but he didn’t get the job. So he called me and was asking for some encouragement, So I was talking to him and said ‘hey man, sometimes the timing just has to be right.’ I was telling him like ‘hey, I’ve always wanted to coach at Clemson … but they’ve been winning football games, national championships.’“‘The timing for me hasn’t been right … maybe, who knows, the opportunity will come down the road – you know never.’ I hung up the phone and literally Dabo called me like 10 minutes later like out of nowhere. It scared me, I almost didn’t answer my phone – I didn’t really think he was calling me to offer the job. So to be here man, it’s a blessing … I’m just excited, very humbled.”"

It’s a bittersweet read for Auburn fans, but perhaps change was what was needed for all parties involved.

At least Eason is where he truly wants to be, if there is good to come out of one of the biggest Auburn football coaching staff losses of 2022.