Clemson officially announced Monday that offensive coordinator Garrett Riley and safeties coach Mickey Conn will not return to the program in 2026, formalizing a long-anticipated offseason reset under head coach Dabo Swinney.
Swinney said the decision to move on from Riley was difficult but necessary after Clemson failed to produce the offensive consistency and results it needed.
“I have made the decision to make a change at offensive coordinator,” Swinney said in a statement. “These decisions are never easy, especially when you really love and care for the people involved. At the end of the day, we just did not get the production and the results that we needed, and I feel like it is time for a change.”
Riley was hired in January 2023 to modernize Clemson’s offense and help restore the Tigers’ national profile. While Clemson reached the College Football Playoff and won an ACC championship in 2024 under Riley, offensive inconsistency resurfaced in 2025, culminating in a 7–6 finish and the program’s first postseason loss in 14 years.
“I appreciate all of Garrett’s efforts on behalf of our players and our program,” Swinney said. “He’s smart, he’s worked extremely hard, and he has a great career ahead of him. It just didn’t work like we both wanted.”
The move triggers a significant financial obligation for Clemson, as Riley’s contract includes a guaranteed buyout if terminated without cause, subject to standard offset language should he land another coaching position.
Clemson also announced the departure of Conn, who had been with the program since 2016 and coached the safeties since 2017. Swinney credited Conn for a decade of service and player development, including coaching current NFL starter R.J. Mickens.
“Coach Conn is someone that I’ve known since 1990, and he is truly family to me,” Swinney said. “He’s done an amazing job here at Clemson and has been a big part of our success over the last decade.”
Swinney said he is confident in Clemson’s plan for the secondary moving forward and emphasized that the broader staff evaluation is ongoing.
“I’m excited about the plan we have in place for our secondary and our defensive staff,” Swinney said. “And I’m looking forward to identifying the right leader for our offense to help us achieve our goals for 2026 and beyond.”
The announcement underscores Clemson’s urgency to close the gap between competitiveness and results. The Tigers held opponents under 23 points in multiple losses this season — a threshold that once nearly guaranteed victory — but struggled to finish games offensively.
With the slate now officially wiped clean, Clemson begins a pivotal offseason search that will shape the next phase of Swinney’s tenure.