Moments after news broke that Clemson football head coach Dabo Swinney had fired offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter, word came that the Tigers are looking to hire TCU offensive coordinator Garrett Riley.
Riley, of course, is the younger brother of Lincoln Riley and was relatively anonymous until the Horned Frogs run to the CFB Playoff Championship Game this season.
The 33-year-old Riley had just been at TCU for one year, following a stint as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at SMU (2020) and running backs coach at Appalachian State (2019).
It has been a meteoric rise for Riley as TCU finished 27th in the country in total offense at 455 yards per game and 9th in scoring at 38.8 points per game.
Riley, just three years removed from being the running backs coach at Appalachian State would be in line to run one the offense of one of the nation’s premier teams if the hiring comes to fruition.
Highly-regarded TCU offensive coordinator Garrett Riley is headed to #Clemson, @LarryWilliamsTI reports. More here. https://t.co/R10ooZjF4W pic.twitter.com/CX7aSKgjr9
— Tigerillustrated.com (@TIinClemson) January 12, 2023
The Clemson Board of Trustees is expected to meet Friday afternoon to formally approve Riley’s contract.
Head coach Dabo Swinney has been under fire for promoting from within on both sides of the ball, not only from Clemson diehard fans, but also the national media.
Media and fans questioned Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney’s willingness to make tough decisions
Some questioned Dabo leadership and will to make changes when needed, but this move proves he’s willing to make a change when he believes a change needs to be made, whether it’s a long time Clemson staffer and former player or not.
The move also injects optimism and a sense of hope into a fanbase that had gotten used to high flying offense, “Wide Receiver U” and playoff games.
Whether Riley’s offense will translate to Clemson remains to be seen as does his prowess, or lack thereof, on the recruiting trail.
As a former Texas High School football coach, my guess is the Riley name still works wonders in that state and I’ll also bet a certain former Texas High School quarterback on the Clemson roster is eager for spring ball to begin.