Clemson Athletics Officially Hires New Offensive Coordinator Chad Morris

The Clemson Tigers have finished their offensive coordinator hunt, officially signing Chad Morris to a three-year contract.

Morris returns to the program that he brought to new heights, going 42-11 with head coach Dabo Swinney over the four-year period that they spent together from 2011-15. He will replace Garrett Riley after a three-year stint.

“There are always tough decisions that have to be made in this profession, and though I had to make a couple tough decisions, it was an easy decision to hire Chad Morris,” Swinney said in a press release.

The Clemson offense, which has struggled to get back to the tempo of the Tigers’ national championship run from 2015-20, averaged 468.5 yards per game and 36.3 points per game under Morris, which Swinney acknowledges. The head coach also believes that he’s really excited for our players”, who will play in a hurry-up, spread offense style.

“I think we’ve got some elite offensive personnel, and the name of the game is points,” Swinney said. “The one thing I know about Chad, he knows how to score points, and so I’m excited to welcome him and his family back.”

Morris said that the return brings back “one of the most joyful times” of his career, looking to bring the Tigers back to a high-octane offense. This past season, the Clemson offense finished 11th in the ACC in scoring with 27.2 points per game. The 57-year-old comes back to coaching after a year off to watch his son Chandler, who was playing in, what most likely, would be his final year at Virginia.

“It excites me to have an opportunity to come back and to do it under very similar circumstances from where we were in 2011 and where we are in 2026,” Morris said in the press release. “I can’t thank Coach Swinney, Graham Neff and the Board of Trustees enough for this opportunity.”

The decision to hire Morris comes after Clemson’s 7-6 season in 2025, after beginning the season ranked No. 4 in the country by the AP Poll.

Morris’s Contract

Morris was finalized as the hire on Monday morning, when the Clemson University Board of Trustees Compensation Committee agreed to a deal.

The former Clemson offensive coordinator will be making a flat salary of $1.2 million per year. To put it in perspective, Riley was making about $1.75 million per year in 2025-26, being a pay cut for a coach that Swinney has had history with.

His contract does have an interesting clause, however. If Morris leads the offense to a top 20 finish in total offense in 2026 or 2027, all three years are guaranteed. If not, the University owes 100%, plus mitigation, for the first two years.

The former Clemson coordinator also has incentives to make and win the ACC Championship and chances to make extra money if he helps take the Tigers to a bowl game with eight or more wins. Morris also has a laddered bonus if Clemson makes the College Football Playoff, making more money depending on each win.

Morris will have his hands full early, diving into the transfer portal to help the Tigers, while settling key decisions, like next year’s starting quarterback, before next season’s Week 1 matchup at LSU.