Dabo Swinney’s Top 10 Assistant Coaching Hires: No. 4 Chad Morris

Clemson’s transformation from a program with promise to a national powerhouse didn’t happen overnight. It was built on vision, culture, recruiting, and above all, great coaching. While Dabo Swinney’s own leadership has defined the Tigers' identity in the midseason of 2008, it’s his assistant hires that have often provided the strategic edge needed to reach the sport’s summit.

Here’s a ranked look at Swinney’s 10 best assistant coaching hires during his Clemson tenure:

No. 4 Chad Morris | Offensive Coordinator (2011–2014)

When Swinney hired Chad Morris in December 2010, he took a bold gamble. Morris, with just one year as Tulsa’s offensive coordinator and a lifetime in Texas high school football, was a calculated risk. But Swinney saw potential in his up‑tempo, spread system—and it paid immediate dividends.

In Morris’s first season (2011), Clemson vaulted from a 6–7 record to 10–3, ranking 26th nationally in total offense (440.8 yds/game) and 25th in scoring (33.6 ppg). By 2012–13, the Tigers averaged over 50 yards more per game, ranking ninth in total offense and sixth in scoring, shattering school records and setting the stage for championship success.

Morris’s offense wasn’t just explosive—it was transformative. He introduced Clemson’s first 1,000-yard rusher and receiver in the same season, as Roderick McDowell rushed for 1,025 yards while freshman Sammy Watkins totaled 1,464 receiving yards in 2013.

He developed star talents like Tajh Boyd and emphasized tempo and versatility to keep defenses on their heels. His innovative schemes with a hurry-up, no-huddle style reshaped Clemson’s offensive identity and convinced top recruits that Death Valley was a place to elevate their game.

In December 2014, Morris was rewarded with the SMU head coaching job after a 41–11 stretch that included an ACC title and two Orange Bowls. Swinney has since credited that hire as the turning point in Clemson’s rise, with Tigers staff and fans alike acknowledging the offensive coordinator’s impact.

Morris eventually returned to Clemson in a consulting role in 2023, bringing full circle the man who first energized Clemson's offense. Without the Morris hire, Clemson’s path to elite status might have taken a very different course, earning the former Tiger OC a spot inside our Top 5.

Dabo Swinney’s 10 best assistant coaching hires: 

• No. 5 Mike Reed | Cornerbacks (2013–)
• No. 6 Garrett Riley | Offensive Coordinator (2023-)
• No. 7 Tom Allen | Defensive Coordinator (2025–)
• No. 8 Dan Brooks | Defensive Tackles Coach (2009–2016)
• No. 9 Robbie Caldwell | Offensive Line Coach (2011–2021)
• No. 10 Todd Bates | Defensive Line Coach (2017–2021)