Clayton White facts for kids
| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Defensive coordinator |
| Team | South Carolina |
| Conference | SEC |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | December 2, 1977 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) |
| 2017–2020 | Western Kentucky (DC/CB) |
| 2021–present | South Carolina (DC/ILB) |
Clayton White (born December 2, 1977) is an American football coach and a former player. He is currently the defensive coordinator for the South Carolina Gamecocks. Before joining South Carolina, he was the defensive coordinator for the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. He played college football for NC State.
Contents
Playing Football
College Football Days
Clayton White grew up in Dunn, North Carolina. He went to Triton High School in nearby Erwin. There, he played both quarterback and linebacker.
After high school, he attended North Carolina State University. He was a starting linebacker and played on special teams in 1999 and 2000. White set several records at NC State for tackles. He graduated in 2001 with a degree in sports management.
Playing in the NFL
After college, White played in the NFL. He spent two seasons with the New York Giants as a linebacker and a special teams player. He played in every Giants game during the 2001 season.
He got injured in 2002 and later left the Giants. He then signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but was released before the 2003 season began.
Coaching Career
Starting His Coaching Journey
After his playing career, White became a coach. He was hired as an assistant coach at Sanderson High School in Raleigh, North Carolina. He coached the defensive backs there.
In 2004 and 2005, he coached defensive backs for the Western Carolina team. In 2006, he worked at Western Michigan. There, he coached defensive backs and was the special teams coordinator.
Stanford University
From 2007 to 2009, White coached the defensive backs at Stanford University.
Western Kentucky (First Time)
In 2010, White joined the coaching staff at Western Kentucky University (WKU). He was the co-special teams coordinator and coached defensive backs.
UConn Huskies
White worked for the UConn Huskies in 2011 and 2012. He was their special teams coordinator and running backs coach.
NC State Wolfpack
From 2013 to 2016, White returned to his old college team, NC State. He was the co-special teams coordinator and coached the safeties.
Western Kentucky (Second Time)
In 2017, White went back to Western Kentucky. This time, he was the team's defensive coordinator and cornerbacks coach. He stayed in that role until after the 2020 season.
South Carolina Gamecocks
In 2021, White was hired by the South Carolina Gamecocks. He became their defensive coordinator and coached the inside linebackers. He joined Shane Beamer's first coaching staff there.
In 2021, even with some players leaving, White's defense played very well. They were great at forcing turnovers, which means they took the ball away from the other team a lot.
