Clemson coach Dabo Swinney is set to hire Chad Morris as the Tigers’ next offensive coordinator, a return of a familiar face for the program, according to Tiger Illustrated.
Morris will replace Garrett Riley, who will not return following the 2025 season after Clemson’s offense failed to meet expectations. The Tigers averaged 392.2 yards per game, tied for eighth in the ACC, and 27.2 points per game, ranking 11th among the league’s 17 teams.
The hire marks Morris’ third stint at Clemson. He served as the Tigers’ offensive coordinator from 2011-14 during a period that helped establish Clemson as a national power, then returned as an analyst in 2023. Morris took the past year away from coaching while his son, Chandler, played quarterback at Virginia.
After his first Clemson tenure, Morris became head coach at SMU, leading the Mustangs from 2-10 in 2015 to 7-5 in 2017. He later struggled as head coach at Arkansas, posting a 4-18 record from 2018-19, and served as offensive coordinator at Auburn in 2020.
Swinney announced the move of firing Riley after the season, calling it a difficult decision.
“At the end of the day, we just did not get the production and the results that we needed,” Swinney said, “and I just feel like it is time for a change.”
Swinney and Clemson open the season against Lane Kiffin and LSU on Sept. 5 in Baton Rouge.
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