This week, a national outlet took a look at some head coaching candidates from the coordinator ranks.

CBS Sports highlighted seven college football coordinators who could be in line to land power conference head coaching jobs at the end of the upcoming season, and among the names mentioned is Clemson’s Garrett Riley, who is entering his second campaign as the Tigers’ offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach.

The 2022 Broyles Award winner as the nation’s top assistant coach, Riley joined Clemson in January 2023 from TCU, where he served as the team’s 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.

“After helping orchestrate TCU’s high-flying 2022 attack, Riley was supposed to ignite Clemson’s attack in 2023. But the Tigers ranked 50th in total offense during his first year as offensive coordinator,” CBS Sports’ David Cobb wrote.

“It will take a big season for the 34-year-old to reclaim the rocket ship trajectory he enjoyed a couple seasons ago. But if the Tigers make a significant offensive jump, Riley has the resume to garner head coaching looks. He played for Mike Leach, his brother is USC coach Lincoln Riley and his last three bosses are Dabo Swinney, Sonny Dykes and Eli Drinkwitz. That’s a strong pedigree.”

Although Clemson’s offense wasn’t as prolific as many expected entering last season, Riley led Clemson to a No. 15 national rank in first downs per game (23.4), the ninth-best mark in school history. Clemson’s 76.8 plays per game represented its highest average since 2016 (81.4), and the Tigers finished fifth in the nation in average time of possession per game (33:19), their highest ranking and largest average since 1989.

On CBS Sports’ list of coordinators to watch as possible head coaching candidates in 2024, Riley is joined by Georgia DC Glenn Schumann, LSU DC Blake Baker, Penn State OC Andy Kotelnicki, Alabama DC Kane Wommack, Georgia co-DC Travaris Robinson and Missouri OC Kirby Moore.

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