Clemson Brings Back Chad Morris as Offensive Coordinator

Morris returns to lead Tigers' offense after previous stint from 2011-14

Jan. 30, 2026 at 5:47pm

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Clemson has hired Chad Morris as its new offensive coordinator, bringing back the former Tigers OC who led the offense from 2011-14. Morris, who has previous head coaching experience at SMU and Arkansas, will look to revitalize Clemson's offense after a down year in 2025.

Why it matters

Morris's previous tenure as Clemson's OC was highly successful, with the Tigers averaging over 468 yards and 36 points per game during his four seasons. His up-tempo, aggressive offensive approach helped develop stars like Tajh Boyd, Sammy Watkins and DeAndre Hopkins. Clemson is hoping Morris can recapture that magic and get the offense back on track after a subpar 2025 campaign.

The details

Morris spent the 2025 season out of coaching, but used the time to visit other programs and study different offensive models. He plans to implement a two-back, run-oriented, play-action passing attack that will look to push the ball downfield frequently. Clemson will likely utilize both 11 and 12 personnel to change up the pace. Morris's son Chandler, who was the starting QB at Virginia in 2025, also provided valuable insight during Morris's year away from the sidelines.

  • Morris served as Clemson's offensive coordinator from 2011-14.
  • He took the head coaching job at SMU in 2015 and was there until 2017.
  • Morris was the head coach at Arkansas from 2018-2019 before being dismissed.
  • He spent the 2025 season out of coaching, working as an analyst and visiting other programs.

The players

Chad Morris

The new offensive coordinator at Clemson, Morris previously held the same role with the Tigers from 2011-14 before becoming a head coach at SMU and Arkansas.

Dabo Swinney

The head coach at Clemson, who is bringing back Morris to run the Tigers' offense after parting ways with the previous OC, Garrett Riley.

Chandler Morris

The son of new Clemson OC Chad Morris, who was the starting quarterback at Virginia in 2025 and provided valuable insight to his father during his year away from coaching.

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What they’re saying

“We're a two-back run-oriented play-action shot football team that's going to take great pride in pushing the ball down the field.”

— Chad Morris, Clemson Offensive Coordinator

“I had a chance this past year to really get out and see the way other programs are run, things both good and bad, and that was really beneficial for me.”

— Chad Morris, Clemson Offensive Coordinator

What’s next

Clemson will debut Morris's new-look offense in Week 1 against LSU, providing an early test of the Tigers' ability to hit on the deep shots that Morris has emphasized.

The takeaway

Clemson is hoping that bringing back Chad Morris as offensive coordinator can recapture the success of his previous stint from 2011-14, when the Tigers' offense was among the most explosive in the country. Morris's up-tempo, aggressive approach could reinvigorate Clemson's skill position players and get the offense back on track after a down year in 2025.