Dabo Swinney’s search for veteran leader did not end with Chad Morris’s return. The Clemson Tigers are apparently getting one of the most respected names in the history of the profession in the news after a two-month search to replace Will Gilchrist. Rich Bisaccia, the former NFL special teams coordinator, is expected to join staff (per Larry Williams of Tiger Illustrated who broke the news), pending the usual approval from the board.
Big news for Clemson from @LarryWilliamsTI. Rich Bisaccia is one of the most respected special teams coaches in the business and has a long history in the Palmetto State. He was at South Carolina from 1988-93 and Clemson from 1994-98. Larry reports Gamecocks were also interested. https://t.co/uy6rsIE9X1
— Chris Low (@Clowfb) March 2, 2026
For Bisaccia, it’s a full-circle homecoming to the program where he first made a name for himself in the mid-90s. For Clemson, it’s quite a statement that “almost” is no longer the standard.
Bisaccia doesn’t just add experience; he adds a “who’s who” of football history to the locker room. His 40 years of coaching has borne tremendous success in the highest stakes:
Super Bowl Champion — won a ring with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002.
In 2021, in his role as the Las Vegas Raiders' interim head coach, he coached the team to a 7-5 finish and a playoff berth in particularly trying circumstances.
Bisaccia has coordinated special teams for the Bucs, Chargers, Cowboys, Raiders, and, most recently, the Green Bay Packers for 20 years.
This is not Bisaccia’s first trip to the Upstate. He coached Clemson’s running backs and special teams from 1994 to 1998 and mentored legendary Tigers such as Raymond Priester. His return represents the first time he has coached at the collegiate level since 2001, closing off a 25-year career in the NFL.
The special teams at Clemson last season have been a "committee" effort that brought together Mike Reed, DeAndre McDaniel and other analysts. The staff made a good effort, but there was no one clear voice in the unit. Bisaccia immediately shifts that. He joins a program seeking to rid itself of the “hidden yardage” mistakes that cost a team a 7-6 season in 2025. While you have a veteran like Bisaccia at your helm, we need a focus on discipline, blocked-kick schemes and field-position management.
And the projected hire of Bisaccia, along with Chad Morris and Tajh Boyd’s return, reflects a clear strategy from Dabo Swinney: surround a young roster with coaches who have always “been there, done that” — and surround him with a new quarterback. The new player, Bisaccia, as spring practice rolls on, gives a pro-level shine to a staff in desperate need of a rebound year in 2026. So, if the “Pro’s Pro” can remedy the Tigers’ special teams problems, the road to Charlotte just got much smoother.