Neff details how the Tigers brought Garrett Riley to Clemson

Garrett Riley is expected to bring life back to a stagnant Clemson offense.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Mon Jun 26 13:26:42 GMT-04:00 2023

Clemson Athletic Director Graham Neff played a big role in luring offensive coordinator Garrett Riley to Clemson, a transition that happened because of the closeness he shares with head coach Dabo Swinney.

Swinney and Neff hired Riley away from TCU in January. At TCU, Riley served as Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach in helping lead the Horned Frogs to a 13-2 record, a Fiesta Bowl title, and a berth in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game in 2022. In December, he was honored with the Broyles Award, which is presented annually to the nation’s top assistant coach.

Riley is expected to help revive a Clemson offense that finished 48th nationally in 2022 and 99th in 2021. The Tigers ranked 10th in 2020.

Neff explained how the hiring came about during an interview with Kelly Gramlich and Eric Mac Lain recently.

“It is an awesome story. My role, I've been here ten years and worked closely with Coach Swinney and the football program since day one. But especially now in the last year-and-a-half, it’s a different role and a different level of partnership or strategy,” Neff said, “Certainly, that change from a coordinator standpoint by coach, he and I had talked about it from the end of the season into mid-January when that transition transpired. I think the sequencing and timing were borne out of trying to do it the right way for Brandon Streeter, who is an awesome Clemson man and has a Clemson family. He was an awesome player here and an excellent coach, so we wanted to make sure that the steps in conversations along the way were sensitive to that. That was certainly one of the drivers.”

Neff said the move was kept a secret because of the relationship he has with Swinney.

“And so much of the part of the culture and success of Clemson football is how Coach Swinney has led the program with staff continuity and consistency and the locker room, and that has been a huge part of it. A change like this, from the coordinator position, was significant on so many levels,” Neff said. “And so, working that to where it was just a really tight circle. And it might not have not even been a circle; it was a line with just Dabo and I. It was really cool to be able to support Dabo in that consideration and that opportunity from what my role was and is. And to be really prudent about how it went down.

"There was a couple of days stretch where we thought it would happen but let's make sure we are in sequence with each other because Coach had list of dominoes and certain steps with players and staff. And mine was different, the President (Jim Clements) and the Board, and we were kind of being intentional about being sure we were each on the same page of what we needed to do and what our roles were and that we didn't get out of sequence and get out of transition. And also, that when it was go-time, we were able to move very efficiently.”

Neff said he is eager to see what Riley brings to Clemson, but he also said that Riley has learned a lot about Clemson along the way.

“We are obviously excited about what Garrett is going to bring to the program and the offense. Strong in a number of different ways,” Neff said. “And we haven't made the Playoffs in the last couple of years, so that tells you what Coach Swinney's expectations are for his program. I had dinner with Garrett and his wife, Lindsay, a few nights ago, and we are coming off a successful June with recruiting and all of that. And he was remarking, 'Hey, it's just different here.' Now for him to be able to look back at half a year and recognize that is him seeing the reputation of Clemson in the recruiting world and in the coaching circles. I think that is a cool part of that statement of what change to Clemson was for him.”