| Clayton White | |
| Current Title: | Defensive coordinator |
| Current Team: | South Carolina |
| Current Conference: | SEC |
| Birth Date: | 2 December 1977 |
| Birth Place: | Dunn, North Carolina |
| Player Years1: | 1997–2000 |
| Player Team1: | NC State |
| Player Years2: | 2001–2002 |
| Player Team2: | New York Giants |
| Player Years3: | 2003 |
| Player Team3: | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| Coach Years1: | 2003 |
| Coach Team1: | Jesse O. Sanderson HS (NC) (DB) |
| Coach Years2: | 2004–2005 |
| Coach Team2: | Western Carolina (DB/RC) |
| Coach Years3: | 2006 |
| Coach Team3: | Western Michigan (DB/ST) |
| Coach Years4: | 2007–2009 |
| Coach Team4: | Stanford (DB) |
| Coach Years5: | 2010 |
| Coach Team5: | Western Kentucky (co-STC/DB) |
| Coach Years6: | 2011–2012 |
| Coach Team6: | UConn (STC/RB) |
| Coach Years7: | 2013–2016 |
| Coach Team7: | NC State (co-STC/S) |
| Coach Years8: | 2017–2020 |
| Coach Team8: | Western Kentucky (DC/CB) |
| Coach Years9: | 2021–present |
| Coach Team9: | 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.
White grew up in Dunn, North Carolina, and attended Triton High School in nearby Erwin, where he played quarterback and linebacker. 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.[2] [3]
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.[4] 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.[5]
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. 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.
From 2007 to 2009 White coached the defensive backs at Stanford.
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.
White served as the special teams coordinator and running backs coach for the Huskies in 2011 and 2012.
From 2013 to 2016 White worked as the co-special teams coordinator and safeties coach for NC State.
In 2017 White returned to Western Kentucky as the team's defensive coordinator and cornerbacks coach. He remained in that position until after the 2020 season.
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]