Clemson fires offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter, targets TCUs Garrett Riley

Clemson has fired offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter, the school announced Thursday afternoon. The Tigers are targeting TCU offensive coordinator Garrett Riley to succeed Streeter, The Athletic’s Matt Fortuna reports. Larry Williams at Tigers Illustrated was the first to report Riley as a candidate.

Riley, the brother of USC head coach Lincoln Riley, recently completed his first season at TCU. The Horned Frogs advanced to the College Football Playoff before losing to Georgia in the national championship game.
TCU ranked 27th in the nation in total offense (455.0 ypg) but 14th in yards per play (6.69). They tied for ninth in scoring with 38.8 points per game.
Riley previously spent two years working for Sonny Dykes as the offensive coordinator at SMU.

Backstory

Streeter has worked under Dabo Swinney since December 2014 as the Tigers’ quarterbacks coach. He spent the 2020 and 2021 seasons as Clemson’s passing game coordinator before Swinney named him offensive coordinator prior to the 2021 Cheez-It Bowl to replace Tony Elliott, now the head coach at Virginia. He played quarterback at Clemson from 1997 through 1999.

At the time Swinney promoted Streeter and defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin, both internal hires, he said the decisions took “30 seconds.”

Clemson ranked No. 48 nationally in total offense in 2022 but was just 72nd in yards per play. The Tigers ranked No. 99 nationally in 2021 under Elliott, No. 10 in 2020, No. 5 in 2019, No. 3 in 2018, No. 38 in 2017, No. 12 in 2016 and No. 11 in 2015.

Streeter was praised for his work with Clemson quarterbacks Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence, both of whom won national championships with the Tigers. But DJ Uiagalelei struggled throughout his tenure with the Tigers, finishing the 2021 season with more interceptions (10) than touchdowns (nine) and a 61.9 percent completion percentage in 2022 that ranked eighth of 12 in the ACC.

The compensation committee of Clemson’s Board of Trustees will hold a meeting Friday. On the agenda is “Football Assistant Coach Contract.”

The Athletic’s instant analysis:

Was this the right move?

Clemson’s offense desperately needed a reset this offseason from an X’s and O’s standpoint, which explains Swinney’s decision — in part. If the Tigers want to get back to being regulars in the College Football Playoff, their scheme certainly needs an upgrade. But Swinney is also known for his loyalty and affinity for promoting from within, which makes the move more surprising, considering Streeter was in the role for just one season. Plus, Swinney knew before he promoted Streeter exactly what he was getting in a coach who had been with him for the past eight seasons. To expect Streeter to completely change the Tigers’ fortunes from 2021 was probably unrealistic.

Streeter is a strong recruiter and did excellent work with Watson and Lawrence. But ultimately, it was too hard to ignore how predictable Clemson’s offense became in 2022, and how much Uiagalelei, a five-star prospect, struggled. The Tigers also abandoned the run in chunks against South Carolina and Tennessee, eventually losing both games.

This move was likely not an easy one for the sometimes-stubborn Swinney, who may be signaling to college football that he’s serious about Clemson catching back up. — Raynor

Impact of hiring Riley

Swinney hiring Riley — if he is indeed the choice — shows just how serious he is about getting his offense back on track. His relationship with Streeter goes back years, and there’s no doubt that letting him go was difficult. But as Swinney said in his statement, he is accountable for Clemson’s staff and the Tigers’ results.

Riley, who was brilliant with TCU’s offense, has proven he can take a team that may not have had as much talent and scheme it to a national championship game appearance. Imagine what he will do with Clemson’s four and five-star recruits?

What they are saying

Swinney issued the following statement:

“I am incredibly appreciative of Brandon for all he accomplished at Clemson in his 15 years as a player, graduate assistant, position coach and offensive coordinator. I am thankful for Brandon and love him and his family. He has always represented Clemson University with great pride, and I know he will continue to do great things.

“As the leader of this program, I am accountable for our staff and accountable for our results, and though we took a step forward offensively in 2022, after evaluating our offense in-depth, I felt it was in the best interest of our program to seek new leadership at that position. These decisions are never easy, but it is my job to evaluate and assess every part of our program every year, and this was just the right time to make a change.

“I look forward to bringing in a dynamic, proven leader at offensive coordinator with the specific purpose of meeting — and raising — the standard of excellence that has been established at Clemson. I passionately believe in our staff and in the young men in our program and am excited about the opportunity to see them grow even more in 2023.”

Required reading

(Photo: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)