5 coaches who could be the head coach in waiting for Dabo Swinney

Utah just named a head coach in waiting who will take over when Kyle Whittingham retires. Here are five current assistants who could fill the same role for Dabo Swinney with Clemson Football.
Clemson offensive coordinator Garrett Riley, left, and offensive line coach Matt Luke look at offensive linemen during the 2024 Dabo Swinney Football Camp in Clemson in Clemson, S.C. Tuesday, June 4, 2024.
Clemson offensive coordinator Garrett Riley, left, and offensive line coach Matt Luke look at offensive linemen during the 2024 Dabo Swinney Football Camp in Clemson in Clemson, S.C. Tuesday, June 4, 2024. / Ken Ruinard - staff / USA TODAY NETWORK
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Matt Luke

Riley, Eason, and Reed are good candidates, but they all have one thing in common: they have never been the head coach of a college football program before, much less a Power program like Clemson that has been challenging for conference and national accolades for the better part of a decade.

There is one man on the staff who has been a head coach before, and that is Luke.

Luke served as the head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels for three seasons from 2017 to 2019. He inherited the mess made by Hugh Freeze before he was fired in 2017. Before that, he had been the offensive line coach and co-offensive coordinator for four seasons.

Following his tenure with Ole Miss, Kirby Smart added him to the Georgia staff in 2020. He was part of the staff that broke through with the Bulldogs’ national championship in 2021.

There is a misconception about Luke which might be due to his tenure as a head coach. Most fans think he is roughly Swinney’s age. He is actually 47 years old, younger than most people realize.

Luke’s tenure with the Rebels wasn’t great. His best finish was 6-6 in his first season. History tells us we shouldn’t be too fixated on that.

David Cutcliffe found it difficult to lead the Rebels, but had a long and respected tenure with Duke, leading the Blue Devils to a Coastal Division title and an appearance in the ACC Championship Game. Ed Orgeron made zero headway in Oxford. Later in his career, he won a national championship at LSU.  Even Freeze is back in the SEC.

Experience is the best teacher. After this season, Luke might turn out to be an excellent option to follow Swinney.

NEXT: CJ Spiller