Clemson turns back to Chad Morris, betting the past still plays

Former Razorback coach, quiet since his Clemson peak, may get another chance as Dabo Swinney leans on familiarity over reinvention.

Arkansas Razorbacks former coach Chad Morris on the outdoor practice fields at Fayetteville, Ark., on Nov. 9, 2019. | Andy Hodges-Hogs on SI Images

Chad Morris has been gone from the spotlight so long that some college football fans might need a refresher. That alone tells you something.

Once upon a time, Morris was the offensive mind behind Clemson’s rise, the coach who helped turn the Tigers into a national brand instead of a regional curiosity. That version of Morris still lives comfortably in memory.

The current version has been harder to track. After he drove the Arkansas Razorbacks' football program into a ditch nobody has been able to fully climb out of since he was kicked to the curb after the 2019 season and just four wins total in two years.

This was something I wan't even aware of until seeing a story by Michael Main at BestofArkansasSports.com.

Now, after years of wandering through the coaching wilderness, Morris may be getting another shot — not because of what he’s done recently, but because of what he once did.

Reports indicate Clemson is considering bringing Morris back to run its offense, reuniting him with head coach Dabo Swinney and betting that familiarity can fix what modern college football has exposed.

It’s less a comeback story and more a memory test.

🚨 Our latest intel and insight on a number of #CLEMSON football developments, including what we are hearing this Friday on Chad Morris, of course the transfer portal, Christopher Vizzina and Chris Denson.

➡️ https://t.co/GrvjOsxYGf pic.twitter.com/HOPYaKm0WV

— Tigerillustrated.com (@TIinClemson) January 2, 2026

Morris served as Clemson’s offensive coordinator from 2011 to 2014, when the Tigers were becoming fast, loud, and impossible to ignore. Those offenses didn’t just score points; they announced Clemson’s arrival.

That stretch helped pave the way for playoff appearances and national championships, even after Morris left. His fingerprints are still all over the early success.

But college football doesn’t hand out future opportunities for past contributions. Or at least it didn’t used to.

Since leaving Clemson, Morris’ résumé has quietly thinned. His most prominent stop — head coach at Arkansas — ended with a 4-18 record and zero SEC wins. The Razorbacks didn’t rebuild under Morris; they stalled.

Arkansas moved on, the Hogs reset, and Morris faded from the national conversation almost entirely.

After that came Auburn, where the offense failed to lift off. Then Texas State, where his role drew little attention beyond the program. In 2025, he stepped away to watch his son play quarterback at Virginia.

None of that screams “returning offensive architect for a contender.” Yet here we are.

Morris’ possible return says as much about Clemson as it does about him.

The Tigers have struggled offensively, finishing 7-6 after starting the season ranked No. 4. That slide cost Garrett Riley his job and forced Swinney into another reset.

Instead of searching for something new, Clemson appears ready to trust something old.

Swinney has always valued loyalty, history, and continuity. Morris checks every one of those boxes. He knows the building. He knows the culture. He knows how things used to work.

That last part is the gamble.

Chad Morris: Emerging as The Leading Candidate to Return as Clemson’s Offensive Coordinator https://t.co/zvm9vKrSa2

— ClemsonSportsNews (@ClemSportNews) January 2, 2026

College football has changed dramatically since Morris last ran Clemson’s offense. The transfer portal reshaped rosters. Tempo and spacing evolved. Defensive schemes adjusted.

Morris hasn’t been at the center of that evolution. He’s been orbiting it.

Bringing him back suggests Clemson believes its problems are more about familiarity than innovation. That the Tigers don’t need a new direction — just a reminder.

For Morris, this is a rare second chance at relevance. Coaching careers rarely loop back like this unless the relationship runs deep. His does.

But second chances come with sharper scrutiny. The bar isn’t what Morris did a decade ago. It’s what he can do now.

If the offense clicks, Clemson will credit culture, continuity, and trust. If it doesn’t, the Tigers will be forced to confront an uncomfortable truth — that memory is not a strategy.

Morris once helped Clemson rise. Now he may be asked to prove he can still move it forward.

That’s a heavy ask for a coach whose best work remains firmly in the past.

Key takeaways

• Chad Morris may return to Clemson despite limited success since leaving the program a decade ago.
• His résumé since Clemson includes a failed Arkansas tenure and quieter assistant roles.
• The move reflects Clemson’s reliance on familiarity rather than adapting to modern trends.