Clemson Shakes Up Coaching Staff After Disappointing 2025 Season
After a season that fell well short of expectations, Dabo Swinney is making some significant changes to his Clemson coaching staff. On Monday, the longtime Tigers head coach announced that offensive coordinator Garrett Riley and safeties coach Mickey Conn will not return for the 2026 season. The moves signal a clear shift in direction as Swinney looks to reignite a program that has struggled to find consistent footing in recent years.
Let’s start with Riley, whose departure marks the end of a three-year stint in Death Valley. Swinney praised Riley in his official statement, thanking him for his contributions-most notably helping Clemson win the ACC title and return to the College Football Playoff in 2024. But Swinney also made it clear: the results in 2025 didn’t measure up.
“This was a very difficult decision,” Swinney said. “These decisions are never easy, especially when you really love and care for the people that are involved… but we just did not get the production and the results that we needed.”
And that production-or lack thereof-tells the story. Clemson’s offense in 2025 ranked 62nd nationally in total yards, averaging 392.2 per game.
The passing game showed some life, finishing 22nd in the country with 267.8 yards per contest. But the run game was a different story-just 124.5 yards per game, ranking 104th.
That imbalance translated to just 27.2 points per game, good for 70th in the nation. For a program that built its championship pedigree on explosive, balanced offenses, those numbers weren’t going to cut it.
Riley arrived at Clemson in early 2023 with high expectations. He was fresh off winning the Broyles Award in 2022 as the nation’s top assistant coach during his time at TCU, where he helped lead the Horned Frogs to a national title game appearance. His first season with the Tigers saw modest offensive output-Clemson finished 68th in total offense and went 9-4-but the team still ended the year ranked in the top 20.
In 2024, things clicked. Clemson surged to 12th nationally in total offense, averaging 443.8 yards per game.
The Tigers went 10-4, went 7-1 in ACC play, won the conference title, and made it back to the College Football Playoff. That version of Riley’s offense looked like the future.
But 2025 was a step back. Clemson finished 7-6, their worst record since 2010, and the offense never found its rhythm.
Whether it was inconsistency at quarterback, struggles up front, or a lack of explosive playmakers, the Tigers couldn’t replicate their 2024 success. And in a program with national title aspirations, that kind of regression demands change.
Riley leaves Clemson with a mixed legacy-flashes of brilliance, but ultimately an offense that couldn’t consistently deliver in a season when the Tigers needed it most.
As for Mickey Conn, his departure closes a long chapter in the Clemson story. Conn joined the staff in 2016 and became the safeties coach in 2017.
He was elevated to co-defensive coordinator in 2022. A former Alabama player and teammate of Swinney’s, Conn had been a steady presence on the defensive side for nearly a decade.
His exit underscores the broader overhaul Swinney is undertaking.
This isn’t just about one season-it’s about a trend. Clemson has now suffered at least four losses in each of the past three years and hasn’t had a two-loss season since 2020.
From 2015 to 2019, the Tigers were a fixture in the national championship conversation, reaching the title game four times and winning it all in 2016 and 2018. But the last few seasons have been a different story.
The program has been good, but not great-and that’s not the standard Swinney has set.
At 56 years old, Swinney isn’t on the hot seat just yet. His résumé still commands respect, and his track record of building Clemson into a national powerhouse isn’t easily forgotten.
But it’s clear there’s a sense of urgency now. The ACC is getting tougher, the College Football Playoff is expanding, and the Tigers are trying to avoid being left behind.
This offseason will be pivotal. Swinney has to get the next hires right-especially at offensive coordinator.
The Tigers still have talent, still have a strong culture, and still have one of the most passionate fanbases in college football. But they need a spark.
Clemson’s identity has always been built on energy, innovation, and execution. If they can recapture that, they’ll be back in the national conversation. But for now, change is in the air-and it’s clear Swinney is ready to lead that charge.