Clemson set to hire TCU offensive coordinator Garrett Riley, replacing Brandon Streeter

Clemson is reportedly closing in on a big splash as the program’s new offensive coordinator. The Tigers are set to hire TCU offensive coordinator Garrett Riley to the role, On3’s Matt Zenitz confirmed.

Riley just wrapped up his first season as the Horned Frogs offensive coordinator and turned himself into one of the hottest young coaching names in the game. TCU ranked in the top 10 in the nation in scoring offense and Max Duggan went from backup to Heisman Trophy finalist as the Horned Frogs rattled off a run to the national championship. For his efforts, Riley won the Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant coach this year.

Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellenger also reported Clemson was targeting Riley and said the university board posted a meeting for 4:05 p.m. ET Friday to approve an assistant coach’s contract. He also said Riley is on his way to Clemson as of Thursday night.

Riley, brother of USC head coach Lincoln Riley, got his coaching start in 2011 at Roosevelt High school in Texas. He then broke into college coaching with Augustana College, a Division III school in Illinois, in 2012 and got his first Division I job with East Carolina as a graduate assistant from 2013-14. After spending 2015 as the Pirates’ outside wide receivers coach, Riley headed to Kansas from 2016-18, going from offensive analyst to quarterbacks coach to tight ends coach in that time.

Appalachian State brought Riley aboard in 2019 as running backs coach before Sonny Dykes hired him at SMU to be his offensive coordinator. They spent two years together there before making the move to TCU in 2022, where the Horned Frogs became the talk of college football with a 13-1 record before losing to Georgia in the national title game.

Now, Riley is heading to Clemson, where he inherits an interesting situation. DJ Uiagalelei is now at Oregon State after entering the transfer portal and Cade Klubnik is the apparent heir at quarterback. The Tigers ranked fourth in the ACC in scoring offense in 2022, sixth in passing offense and fifth in total offense as they went 11-3 overall, including a loss to Tennessee in the Orange Bowl.

Earlier Thursday, Clemson fired Brandon Streeter after one season in the role. He had just wrapped up his seventh season of his second stint with his alma mater, going from quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator to offensive coordinator in that time.