Clemson football fires offensive coordinator Garrett Riley after 3 seasons
Clemson football has fired offensive coordinator Garrett Riley.
In a program announcement on Monday night, the Tigers declared they are parting ways with Riley as well as safeties coach Mickey Conn.
“This was a very difficult decision,” coach Dabo Swinney said in a statement. “... I deeply love and care for Garrett Riley and his family.”
“At the end of the day, we just did not get the production and the results that we needed, and I just feel like it is time for a change, and so we will be moving in a different direction with a new offensive coordinator.”
Riley is out after three seasons as the team’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. He joined the Tigers in 2023 from TCU and was widely regarded as one of the hottest coordinators on the market at that time.
Riley’s offense was a consistent point of frustration among fans, and Swinney criticized the offense at times this season for failing to establish the run and not being able to execute and get points on the board in key moments.
After Saturday’s Pinstripe Bowl loss to Penn State, Clemson finished the 2025 season No. 71 nationally in scoring offense (27.2 points per game) and No. 63 in total offense (392.2 yards per game). That’s a drop from 34.7 points per game last year (No. 18) and 451.9 yards per game (No. 11).
Riley’s offense also struggled to run the ball and convert on third down in 2025. The Tigers ranked No. 104 in rushing offense (124.5 yards per game) and No. 116 in third-down conversion rate (34.29%) among 136 FBS teams.
Garrett Riley contract, buyout information
Riley, 36, was one of the highest paid coordinators in the country and set to make $1.75 million in 2025-26, per a copy of his contract obtained by The State. That was tied for the 13th highest assistant coach salary nationally, per USA Today Sports.
Per Riley’s contract, Clemson owes him 100% of his remaining salary on his contract by firing him without cause. That adds up to $5.25 million over the next three years (including Riley’s 2025-26 salary). Per Riley’s contract, he was also set to earn $1.75 million from Clemson in 2026-27 and 2027-28.
Clemson’s payments will be offset by “mitigation” if Riley finds a new job. The school would then pay him the difference between his old and new salary.
Riley had interviewed for the head coaching jobs at North Texas (American) and Coastal Carolina (Sun Belt) in recent weeks but didn’t get either job. He’s the younger brother of former Oklahoma and current Southern Cal coach Lincoln Riley.
During his last media interview heading into the Pinstripe Bowl, The State asked Garrett Riley directly if he thought he’d be back with the Tigers in 2026.
Riley indirectly acknowledged his own uncertain future, saying that he understood “there’s decisions to be made and all that stuff, big picture-wise.
“But I’m telling you, my whole focus is being here, being the best I can for our staff, being the best I can for our players and giving us the best chance to finish this thing out the way we have been the last few weeks and go cap it off with the great bowl win,” Riley said on Dec. 17. “That’s 100% the focus.”
Swinney fired Riley two days after the Pinstripe Bowl loss, in which Clemson had a season low in offensive yards, tied a season low in points and didn’t score a touchdown until midway through the fourth quarter.
In his statement, Swinney praised Riley as a “great coach” who helped Clemson return to the College Football Playoff and win the 2024 ACC championship.
“But it just didn’t work like we both wanted,” Swinney said of Riley. “He’s got an amazing career ahead, and he’ll be a great head coach in the future.”
Swinney’s added of his pending OC search: “I am looking forward to identifying the right leader for our offense to help achieve our goals for 2026 and beyond.”
This story was originally published December 29, 2025 at 6:28 PM.
