Clemson Tigers Rising Coaching Star Addresses Link to Open FBS Job

The Clemson Tigers have an assistant coach that teams with head-coaching openings could be interested in after the season.

Sep 21, 2024; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Clemson Tigers offensive coordinator Garrett Riley before a game against the North Carolina State Wolfpack at Memorial Stadium. / Ken Ruinard-Imagn Images

With success comes opportunity, both for players and for coaches.

For the Clemson Tigers, their offensive resurgence this season has been great for quarterback Cade Klubnik and for offensive coordinator Garrett Riley.

Klubnik is getting Heisman and Davey O’Brien award consideration. Riley is becoming a hot commodity on the head-coaching market.

The 35-year-old coach spoke to the local media on Wednesday and the conversation turned to the job opening at East Carolina. The Pirates recently fired Mike Houston. Riley’s name has been tied to the search.

His answer was short and sweet. He knows it’s happening, but he’s not thinking about it.

"No. I'm always — I was in a rabbit hole, that’s why I'm a couple minutes late here," Riley said. "I was doing some red zone and goal line. I know chatter will happen at times, but man, I'm where my feet are."

One would expect Riley to sidestep the question as the Tigers (6-1, 5-0 ACC) pursue an ACC title and a potential spot in the expanded College Football Playoff.  But that doesn't mean opportunities won't be there for him after the season concludes.

Riley's connection to the job at East Carolina is a natural one. He cut his teeth as a graduate assistant with the Pirates in 2013 and was promoted to outside wide receivers coach two years later. He worked for then-head coach Ruffin McNeill, who was an assistant coach at Texas Tech when Riley was a quarterback for the Red Raiders.

After that, he spent three years as an assistant coach at Kansas, followed by a one-year stint at Appalachian State. In 2020, he got his first offensive coordinator job with SMU under Sonny Dykes. Two years later, he followed Dykes to TCU and helped the Horned Frogs reach the CFP national championship game where they lost to Georgia.

He joined Clemson last year as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach and under his leadership, the offense has emerged as one of the most productive in the country, as it is averaging 42 points per game.

He also has name recognition in the coaching community. He is the younger brother of USC head coach Lincoln Riley. His older brother also played at Texas Tech and worked as an assistant coach under McNeill.

He also spent time with East Carolina, serving as the Pirates offensive coordinator and assistant head coach from 2010-14 before he moved to Oklahoma to serve as offensive coordinator in 2015 before he took over as head coach in 2017 after the retirement of Bob Stoops.