The Clemson Tigers fans were still recovering from their 22-10 Pinstripe Bowl loss against the Penn State Nittany Lions. And without further ado, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney dropped two bombs. The Tigers’ head coach hit the reset button, firing offensive coordinator Garrett Riley. Swinney also showed the exit to veteran coach Mickey Conn.

“🔥 #BREAKING: #Clemson offensive coordinator Garrett Riley and safeties coach Mickey Conn are out,” Tigerillustrated.com reported on December 29.

So why did Swinney pull the plug the moment Clemson’s 2025 season hit zero? Simply put, the Swinney-Riley partnership never found its rhythm. What was supposed to be a loaded Tigers offense instead sputtered, slipping to 27.2 points per game, 71st nationally, after ranking 18th a year ago at 34.7 points.

The Tigers couldn’t handle Penn State’s late surge, falling 22-10. A 16-point fourth quarter by the Nittany Lions erased Clemson’s momentum and sent Swinney into an offseason he was hoping to avoid.

Offensively, Clemson stalled when it mattered most. The Tigers went just 5-for-15 on third down, often facing long-yardage situations, while Penn State kept drives alive by converting 11 of 19. Back-to-back fourth-quarter touchdown drives put the game away, capped by Ethan Grunkemeyer’s 11-yard strike to tight end Andrew Rappleyea, sealing Clemson’s fate in the Bronx.

Riley arrived on Swinney’s staff in 2023, taking over as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach and ushering in the Cade Klubnik era. The results, however, have been uneven. A College Football Playoff trip last season highlighted it, followed by a 7-6 step back this year.

What was supposed to be a title chase turned into a season-long frustration. Clemson opened 2025 as the No. 4 team in the preseason AP Poll but fell short of the CFP. As Tiger Illustrated reported, behind the scenes, tension had been brewing in Swinney’s squad. 

Back in October, Swinney reportedly was more publicly critical of Lincoln Riley’s brother than he had ever been of an assistant. So, this was a clear sign that change was coming.

“I have decided to make a change at offensive coordinator,” Swinney said. “This was a very difficult decision, especially when you really love and care for the people that are involved, and I deeply love and care for Garrett Riley and his family. At the end of the day, we just did not get the production and the results that we needed.”

Now, what about Swinney’s decision to fire safeties coach Conn? The decision wasn’t sudden; it was survival. Clemson’s safety room wobbled all year, starting with a converted receiver in Ronan Hanafin and unraveling further once Khalil Barnes was sidelined.

Swinney’s frustration with Conn peaked in a viral sideline moment against the Duke Blue Devils. 

“Bust! Bust! Bust!” the head coach started yelling. 

The numbers were brutal, too. 128 passing yards of 10-plus per game allowed (126th nationally), plus 11 plays of 40-plus yards and seven of 50-plus, ranked 30th nationally. All these combined, Swinney did not think twice to let go of the national champion coach.

Conn was part of Clemson’s golden era. He contributed to national titles in 2016 and 2018, first as a defensive assistant, then as the safeties coach. He was also teammates with Swinney at the Alabama Crimson Tide in the late 1990s. So, it’s evident that Penn State has made a deep gash in the head coach’s heart.

Terry Smith landed Dabo Swinney the coldest blow

Even before this loss, cracks had already formed in Clemson’s once-iron grip on the sport. Beginning in 2015, the Tigers ripped off six straight College Football Playoff appearances before that streak snapped in 2021. Their return in 2024 came via an ACC title and an automatic bid.

But this time, it was Penn State interim head coach Terry Smith who delivered Swinney the most painful blow. Clemson’s loss to Penn State in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl did more than end the season. It snapped a 14-year run of winning at least one postseason game. 

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Swinney and Co. held the benchmark as no active FBS team currently exceeds eight years. However, the head coach cannot afford to brood over the loss. The transfer portal now calls for a big test for Clemson. They have grown an interest in landing the Kansas Jayhawks transfer safety Lyrik Rawls. 

However, the wooing process looks complex yet attainable for Swinney. All they have to do is make a pitch to Kansas defensive backs coach Brandon Shelby. 

“Coach Shelby, he’s a cool coach. He welcomed me with good love, and I think he can help get me to the next level,” Rawls said.

If there’s a path to Shelby, it runs straight through Dabo Swinney’s defensive coordinator, Tom Allen. He crossed paths with Shelby during their overlapping stints at Indiana. But the bigger question looms: Does Clemson’s coaching shake-up send warning signs to transfers who are seeking stability?