After a season plagued by offensive struggles, Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney fired OC Garrett Riley and turned to a familiar face, bringing back Chad Morris to call plays. However, the new hiring wasn’t just about finding a different playbook. It was solidified by an emotional plea that reminded Dabo Swinney of the family bonds that define his program.

The new offensive coordinator, Chad Morris, revealed that Swinney called him on December 30, a day after Garrett Riley’s firing. The conversation around his return didn’t start as a hiring interview. Rather, it was just two friends catching up. 

“I got a phone call, and it was Coach Swinney, and he said, ‘Hey, what are you doing?’ and the conversation started,” Chad Morris said on the January 9 episode of Clemson’s 2 Right Turns Podcast. “He was asking me a few things and was talking about his list and what he was considering from a coordinator’s standpoint. I just said, ‘Coach, your list is one, and that’s me.’”

But the final confirmation didn’t come until Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney spoke with Morris’ wife, Paula.

“I was just hearing his passion and what he wants, and we both want this program to be back to where it was. And he starts talking about Paula and got her on the phone, and he’s on speaker, and Kath [Dabo Swinney’s wife] is in the background. He’s like, ‘Well, do you want to come back home?’ and she’s like, ‘Coach, I would crawl back to Clemson for you and Kathleen.

I get a little emotional talking about it because that’s how special this place is and has been to our family and us. So, yeah, it started that Tuesday. I know it’s long-winded here, but it’s important to know that it wasn’t just one quick phone call. It was a series of conversations, and you know, I’m excited to be back.”

A week after the conversation, Chad Morris’s hiring was made official. Paula played a significant role in the recruiting process and team dynamics throughout Morris’s time at Clemson, Arkansas, Auburn, Texas State, and other stops of his coaching journey.

This would be the second stint for Morris and his wife at Clemson under Dabo Swinney’s staff. Morris had his first stint as the Tigers’ OC from 2011 to 2014, ascended to power at the ACC and national level, and turned heads with QB Tajh Boyd. With expectations for his second tenure rising, he gave an outlook on his offense.

Chad Morris overviews Clemson’s offense for 2026

Clemson’s new OC, Chad Morris, aims to build the Tigers’ offensive identity around being a ‘two-back run-oriented play-action football team.’

“In order for you to be tough, you have to run the football,” Morris said. “You have to be able to present the run in multiple ways and be creative. It’s you running the same plays, but the creativity, the window dressing behind it. I firmly believe that if you’re tough at running the football offensively, your defense is tougher. The people that work in the bistro are tougher. You’re just a tougher football team. 

I’m very distinct, and I know exactly what we want to be and what we’re going to be. It’s a two-back run-oriented play-action shot football team that’s going to be built on changing our structures and playing with different tempos, but based on running the football.”

Morris has a proven track record of turning offenses around. During his first stint, he inherited an offense ranked 86th nationally and transformed it into a top-10 unit by his second year, fueling four consecutive 10-win seasons. It would be interesting to see how Morris executes plays in the upcoming season, with spring bowl practice starting in a month.