Joey Batson Announces Retirement: A Legendary Career as Clemson Football’s Strength and Conditioning Coach
On April 17, 2025, Clemson University announced that Joey Batson, the Tigers’ longtime Director of Football Strength and Conditioning, will retire following the 2025 season, marking the end of an illustrious 29-year tenure with the program. Batson, a pioneer in the strength and conditioning field, has been a cornerstone of Clemson’s success, contributing to two national championships, nine ACC titles, and the development of countless NFL draft picks. His retirement closes a chapter for a coach whose fiery personality and innovative training methods left an indelible mark on Clemson football. This article explores Batson’s history with the program, his impact, and reflections from coaches and players who worked alongside him.
A Storied Career at Clemson
Joey Batson, a native of Travelers Rest, South Carolina, joined Clemson in 1997 as the Director of Football Strength and Conditioning, bringing with him a wealth of experience and a passion for developing athletes. A 1979 graduate of Travelers Rest High School, where he was a three-year, two-way starter in football, Batson played collegiately as a tight end at The Citadel before transferring to Newberry College, where he was a two-year letterman and team co-captain. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education from Newberry and a Master’s in Education from Clemson in 1988, during which time he served as a graduate assistant in Clemson’s strength and conditioning department from 1985 to 1988.
Before returning to Clemson, Batson held pioneering roles as the first full-time Director of Strength and Conditioning at Furman University (1992–1996) and Bowling Green State University, and as Assistant Director at the University of South Carolina. In 1996, he was named the Southern Conference Strength & Conditioning Professional-of-the-Year after leading Furman to the NCAA I-AA playoffs. His competitive background as a powerlifter, with top-20 national rankings in the 275-pound class from 1985 to 1987, informed his innovative training philosophy, which he brought to Clemson.
Over his 29 seasons at Clemson, Batson served under three head coaches—Tommy West, Tommy Bowden, and Dabo Swinney—helping the Tigers achieve 26 bowl appearances, 19 top-25 finishes, eight top-10 finishes, nine ACC Championships, and two National Championships (2016, 2018). His program produced 76 All-Americans, 247 All-ACC selections, 58 Strength and Conditioning All-Americans, 23 NFL first-round draft picks, and 15 Super Bowl champions. Batson’s contributions were recognized in 2009 when he was named Master Strength and Conditioning Coach by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCa), the highest honor in his profession, and when he received the FootballScoop Strength Coach of the Year award. In 2020, he was inducted into the Travelers Rest High School Athletic Hall of Fame.
Batson’s strength and conditioning program was a multi-faceted, high-intensity approach emphasizing explosive power, maximum strength, muscle mass, core development, posterior chain enhancement, position-specific training, and speed. His “Not So Basic Strength Training” techniques, inspired by powerlifting guru Louie Simmons, yielded impressive results, with Clemson players often praised for their NFL-ready physicality.
The Announcement and Succession Plan
Batson, now in his mid-60s, informed the Clemson team of his retirement decision the week prior to April 17, 2025. The announcement followed a conversation with head coach Dabo Swinney, prompted in part by Batson’s health considerations. He underwent open-heart surgery in 2021 at age 60 and required medical attention after Clemson’s ACC Championship win in December 2024. Having lost his father to a heart attack at age 39, Batson has spoken about balancing his intense coaching style with personal health, saying on the Clemson Dubcast in 2021, “You just want to keep pushing.”
Word has it out of Clemson..Dennis Love, Clemson’s current assistant strength and conditioning coach, is the leading candidate to succeed Batson, ensuring continuity in the program. Batson’s final season in 2025 will mark his 40th year in college strength and conditioning, 36 as a head coach, with an annual salary of $625,000 per his latest contract.
Posts on X reflected the sentiment surrounding Batson’s retirement, with
“Joey Batson, longtime #Clemson strength coach and a pioneer in that field, is set to call it quits after this season… ‘They don’t put championship rings on smooth hands.’ ” The iconic phrase, bellowed by Batson in Clemson’s fourth-quarter hype video at Memorial Stadium, has become synonymous with his relentless drive.
Quotes from Coaches: A Legacy of Impact
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney has long praised Batson’s contributions, particularly his role in building a culture of discipline and toughness. In 2009, Swinney told FootballScoop, “Coach Batson puts his heart and soul into improving our players. He set the standard of discipline and instills a unique toughness into these guys.” Recounting a pivotal moment after Clemson’s overtime win over No. 8 Miami in October 2009, Swinney said, “Our conditioning level was very evident that day. Joey and his staff were a big part of us winning in Miami.” He awarded Batson and his staff the game ball, a testament to their impact.
Swinney also highlighted Batson’s creativity during challenging times, such as the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. With the Allen Reeves Football Complex closed, Batson and his staff—Larry Greenlee, Paul Hogan, and Adam Smotherman—developed alternative workout plans for players without access to weights. Swinney told TigerNet, “Joey Batson and our strength staff have been very creative with the technology… Our strength coaches have done a great job of videoing and using the technology to demonstrate what that alternative plan may be.”
ESPN analyst Todd Blackledge, during Clemson’s 2015 Orange Bowl win over Oklahoma, credited Batson’s program for the Tigers’ dominance in the trenches, stating, “The Tigers were winning the weight room game.” This sentiment was echoed by NFL coaches, who frequently noted that Clemson players arrived in the pros nearly NFL-ready, a direct result of Batson’s rigorous training.
Quotes from Players: A Family Bond
Batson’s impact extended beyond physical preparation, fostering a deep sense of family within the Clemson program. In June 2021, ahead of a medical procedure, the Clemson team prayed over Batson during an agility and lift session, a moment he shared on X: “Great agility circuit & lift for the Tigers this morning! The team called me up to pray over me for a medical procedure next week. Powerful! Special when your job is to make a group of young men uncomfortable daily to bring out their best. 120 strong! Family for Life!” Defensive end Xavier Thomas quote-tweeted, “Love Coach B!! Praying for a successful procedure!!”
Batson’s ability to connect with players was evident in their respect and admiration. His mantra, “They don’t put championship rings on smooth hands,” inspired players to embrace the grind. However, his program faced scrutiny in September 2023 when linebacker Barrett Carter, after a 28-7 loss to Duke, admitted he didn’t feel in “game shape” and needed to get in “better shape.” The comment sparked fan criticism, but Batson’s track record—evidenced by Clemson’s fourth-quarter dominance in games like the 2009 Miami win—suggests the issue was an outlier rather than a reflection of his program’s efficacy.
Challenges and Resilience
Batson’s tenure was not without challenges. The 2023 Duke loss highlighted concerns about Clemson’s conditioning, and his health struggles, including open-heart surgery in 2021, tested his resilience. Yet, he continued to lead with intensity, adapting to modern challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic by implementing virtual workouts and creative solutions, such as instructing players to use buckets of dirt for resistance training when weights were unavailable.
Batson’s staff, including assistants Larry Greenlee, Paul Hogan, Adam Smotherman, and nutrition director Paul Harrington, played a critical role in maintaining Clemson’s reputation for physical preparedness. His influence extended beyond Clemson, with former assistants taking strength and conditioning roles at other ACC and SEC programs and notable South Carolina high schools.
A Lasting Legacy
Joey Batson’s retirement marks the end of an era for Clemson football. His 29 years as Director of Strength and Conditioning transformed the program, producing physically dominant teams and NFL-caliber athletes. His accolades—Master Strength and Conditioning Coach, FootballScoop Strength Coach of the Year, and Travelers Rest High School Hall of Fame induction—reflect his excellence.
Batson’s legacy is perhaps best captured in his own words to FootballScoop in 2009: “We motivate them, stoke their passion for the game and try to keep them hungry for improvement.” His ability to inspire, coupled with his innovative training methods, made Clemson a gold standard in strength and conditioning.
As Batson prepares for his final season in 2025, the Clemson family celebrates a coach who embodied the program’s “Best is the Standard” mantra. His replacement, likely Dennis Love, will inherit a program built on Batson’s foundation of hard work, discipline, and family. For Tigers fans, Batson’s voice will forever echo in Death Valley: “They don’t put championship rings on smooth hands!”
