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COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) Clemson now has another million-dollar coordinator after defensive leader Brent Venables received a nearly half-million dollar raise, increasing his annual salary to $1.35 million beginning next season.
The school released salaries for Venables and rest of Clemson's assistant coaches on Monday. Last week, Clemson announced Venables had agreed to a four-year deal through 2018 while the rest of the staff had new two-year deals.
Clemson had one of college football's highest paid coordinators the past three seasons with offensive leader Chad Morris, who earned $1.3 million a year. Morris left to become SMU's head coach last month.
Venables directed the country's No. 1 defense in yards allowed last year, giving up slightly more than 260 per game. The Tigers finished 10-3, their fourth straight season with double-digit victories.
Venables, the former Oklahoma longtime defensive coordinator, earned $875,000 in his third season with the Tigers. His name came up for several high-profile defensive coordinator openings this past offseason including Texas A&M and LSU.
Morris had a clause in his deal where he would only owe Clemson a buyout if he left for another assistant's positon in college. Venables' contract calls for him to owe the school 25 percent of the full value left on the agreement if he departs for an assistant's position but, like Morris, it would be waived by the school if he left to be a head coach.
Morris' replacements - co-offensive coordinators Jeff Scott and Tony Elliott - each will make $400,000 next season. For Scott, also the receivers coach, it's a raise of $125,000. Elliott, the running backs coach, got a raise of $135,000 from last year's salary.
First-year quarterbacks coach Brandon Streeter, hired last month to assume those duties also performed by Morris, will make $275,000.
Tight ends coach and special teams coordinator Danny Pearman, and offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell, each got a salary boost of $15,000 to $355,000.
Defensive line coaches Marion Hobby and Dan Brooks each recieved $15,000 raises. Hobby will make $415,000 next season and Brooks $355,000.
Defensive backs coach Mike Reed got a raise of $25,000 to $310,000.
Even with Venables' raise, total compensation for Clemson's staff fell from $4.42 million last season to $4.215 million next fall.
Clemson's defense led the Atlantic Coast Conference in several categories including overall yards allowed and fewest passing yards allowed. Defensive end Vic Beasley led the ACC with 12 sacks.
Venables will have his hands full trying to duplicate that next season as the Tigers lose eight starters on defense, including all four along the line, two of three linebackers and two of four in the secondary..
