Clemson hires Garrett Riley as new offensive coordinator. Here are contract details

Lou Bezjak
·3 min read
8

Garrett Riley is officially the new offensive coordinator for the Clemson football program.

The Clemson University board of trustees approved Riley’s hire on Friday afternoon. Riley most recently held the same position at TCU and was named the Broyles Award winner as the nation’s top assistant coach. He replaces Brandon Streeter, who was fired Thursday after one season as coordinator.

Riley will be paid an annual salary of $1.75 million in a three-year contract that runs through the 2025 season. He also was given a $300,000 signing bonus.

An introductory press conference will be held after the January recruiting period is over.

“I am super excited to welcome Garrett and Lindsay Riley and their two precious sons to the Clemson Family,” Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney said in a statement. “Garrett has an incredible track record. His body of work — including this past season when his ninth-ranked scoring offense helped TCU transform from a five-win team into a 13-win national championship game finalist in their coaching staff’s first season — speaks for itself… I know all of Clemson will help welcome the Riley family into the Clemson Family with open arms.”

Clemson will owe Streeter the $1.85 million remaining on his three-year contract, according to the deal’s buyout clause. He was making $925,000 annually. That $1.85 million would be reduced if Streeter takes another college football job for either of the next two seasons.

Tony Elliott, who was the Tigers’ co-offensive coordinator from 2015-19 and then took over duties to himself after Jeff Scott left, was making $2 million a year annually before becoming head coach at Virginia.

Before TCU, Riley worked at Southern Methodist University as well as East Carolina, Kansas and Appalachian State.

Clemson has ranked in the Top 20 nationally in total offense seven times in the Dabo Swinney era, or in half of his 14 full seasons as the Tigers’ coach. That includes the two recent national championship seasons of 2016-17 (No. 12) and 2018-19 (No. 3).

Clemson’s offense ranked 100th and 48th nationally in the 2021 and 2022 seasons, respectively.

The Tigers have missed the playoffs both of those seasons after six-straight appearances as one of the final four teams in college football.

Clemson offensive rankings

Where Clemson’s offense ranked nationally in total offense since Dabo Swinney has been full-time head coach. Clemson national championship seasons in bold.:

  • 2009: Billy Napier, 362.4 yards per game (74th)

  • 2010: Billy Napier, 334.6 (88th)

  • 2011: Chad Morris, 440.8 (26th)

  • 2012: Chad Morris, 512.7 (9th)

  • 2013: Chad Morris, 508.1 (10th)

  • 2014: Chad Morris, 408.3 (61st)

  • 2015: Tony Elliott/Jeff Scott, 514.5 (11th)

  • 2016: Tony Elliott/Jeff Scott, 504.3 (12th)

  • 2017: Tony Elliott/Jeff Scott, 430.5 (38th)

  • 2018, Tony Elliott/Jeff Scott, 528.0 (3rd)

  • 2019: Tony Elliott/Jeff Scott, 528.9 (5th)

  • 2020: Tony Elliott, 502.3 (10th)

  • 2021: Tony Elliott, 360.8 (100th)

  • 2022: Brandon Streeter, 410.3 (48th)

CFP history: Final four teams

Clemson national championship seasons in bold

  • 2014-15: Alabama, Oregon, Florida, Ohio State

  • 2015-16: Clemson, Alabama, Michaigan State, Oklahoma

  • 2016-17: Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Washington

  • 2017-18: Clemson, Oklahoma, Georgia, Alabama

  • 2018-19: Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame, Oklahoma

  • 2019-20: LSU, Ohio State, Clemson, Oklahoma

  • 2020-21: Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Notre Dame

  • 2021-22: Alabama, Michigan, Georgia, Cincinnati

  • 2022-23: Georgia, Michigan, TCU, Ohio State