Clemson Poised to Rehire Chad Morris as Offensive Coordinator

Clemson University is set to rehire Chad Morris as its offensive coordinator, according to sources who confirmed the news to ESPN on Saturday. The multiyear agreement between Morris and the university is expected to be finalized during a board of trustees review on Monday. Morris previously served as Clemson’s playcaller from 2011 to 2014, where he played a crucial role in developing an offense that contributed to the Tigers’ national championships in 2016 and 2018.

During his initial tenure, Morris was instrumental in recruiting standout quarterback Deshaun Watson, whose contributions were pivotal in the program’s success. However, in recent years, Clemson’s offense has struggled, particularly in the 2025 season, which saw the team rank 11th in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in scoring offense and 10th in Total Quarterback Rating (QBR). This disappointing performance culminated in a 22-10 loss to Penn State in the Pinstripe Bowl, resulting in a 7-6 overall record, the program’s worst since 2010—the year before Morris’s first departure.

Morris’s coaching career has included a notable turnaround at Southern Methodist University (SMU), where he improved a struggling program from a 1-11 record to a 7-5 season in 2017. He then took the head coaching position at the University of Arkansas, although his tenure there was less successful, with a record of 4-18 over parts of two seasons before his dismissal. Following his time at Arkansas, Morris worked as the offensive coordinator at Auburn in 2020 and later served as an analyst for former Clemson assistant Jeff Scott at the University of South Florida (USF) and again at Clemson in 2023.

In the 2025 season, Morris took on an advisory role with the University of Virginia, where his son, Chandler Morris, was the starting quarterback. His return to Clemson is seen as a strategic move to revitalize the team’s offensive capabilities and restore its competitive edge in college football.

With Morris back in the fold, Clemson fans are hopeful that his expertise will reinvigorate the offense and lead the team back to prominence within the ACC and nationally.