Clemson coach Dabo Swinney finds himself among the coaches facing intense national pressure going into next season following a disappointing 7-6 record. Immediately after the Tigers’ Pinstripe Bowl loss to the Penn State Nittany Lions, Swinney revamped his staff by firing offensive coordinator Garrett Riley and hiring Chad Morris.
Morris has deep Clemson roots, having served as the Tigers’ offensive coordinator for four years (2011–2014) and as an analyst in 2023, before signing a three-year, $3.6 million deal in January once again.
Clemson Athletic Director Graham Neff Details Chad Morris’s Impact
During Sunday’s segment of the “Gramlich & Mac Lain” podcast, Clemson athletic director Graham Neff detailed the immense impact that having the experienced Morris in the building has had on Swinney’s team.
“It’s very clear with Chad (Morris), Tom Allen, Matt Luke, of those coaches specifically, that have been head coaches at the highest level,” Neff said. “Chad’s been an SEC head coach, Matt’s been an SEC head coach, Tom’s been a Big Ten head coach. You can’t miss it.
“I think what that adds for coach Swinney within the staff, within the building and then that experience, that set of eyes, so to speak, seeing it from different places, what those guys bring to the program. When you look at it in total of where the energy and the focus is from the building, it’s Chad and a lot of the staff bring. Chad’s a mile a minute.”
After his first stint as Swinney’s offensive coordinator, Morris served as the head coach of the SMU Mustangs (2015–2017) and the Arkansas Razorbacks (2018–2019).
Why Analyst Austin Nivison Doubts Chad Morris’s Impact at Dabo Swinney’s Clemson
In his post-spring overreactions piece from last week, CBS Sports analyst Austin Nivison doubted the expected impact of Morris on the Tigers’ offensive output next season due to Clemson’s limited transfer portal involvement over the years.
“The last time Morris helmed the offense at Clemson, the Tigers averaged more than 40 points per game in back-to-back seasons from 2012-13,” Nivison wrote. “That was also more than a decade ago and with all due respect to presumed starting quarterback Christopher Vizzina, I’m not sure how well he compares to Tahj Boyd.
“It’s certainly plausible that the Tigers’ offense improves after a disappointing 2025 campaign, but recent dips in recruiting may have capped that unit’s ceiling.”
Swinney has found himself in the crosshairs of fans and analysts alike for his reluctance to utilize the transfer portal over the years, but during the winter transfer portal, the Clemson coach bucked that trend by signing 10 players to rejuvenate his roster.
With the returning Cade Klubnik under center and an experienced offensive line, the Tigers’ offense was expected to be one of the best in the country last season, but it failed to live up to the hype. Clemson averaged 124.5 rushing yards per game (No. 105) and 27.2 points per game, a huge drop from the previous season’s 34.7 points.
