By Ed McGranahan.

By Ed McGranahan

Just as certain as death, taxes and August mosquitoes, Chad Morris is on the fast track.

One day he will leave Clemson to become a head coach and Dabo Swinney will need a new offensive coordinator.

Morris met N.C. State athletic director Debbie Yow on Wednesday to test his interest in the opening created when she fired Tom O’Brien.

People who know Morris believe he would probably accept an offer if Yow offered.

Sonny Dykes, head coach at Louisiana Tech, may be ahead of him on Yow’s shopping list. Louisiana Tech has the nation’s No. 1 offense, averaging 577.9 yards and 51.5 points per game. One of his team’s three losses this season was to Texas A&M — by two points.

There’s no assurance Dykes would accept the job if Yow offered it to him, though a move from Conference USA (La. Tech joins next year) to a the ACC for double the money would seem to be a no brainer. Dykes made about $800,000 this year, O’Brien $1.9 million.

Yow said she wasn’t looking for an offensive mastermind.

Regardless, it won’t be the last time Morris’ name will surface for a job. Other than one game, Morris’ offense wasn’t bad either. In three seasons as a college offensive coordinator he’s crafted a superb reputation as a strategist, teacher and play caller.

Morris was a successful high school coach in Texas, which is where he may land – sooner or later – regardless of what happens in Raleigh.

One scenario, in the short term, has Baylor coach Art Briles moving soon (Arkansas?) creating an opportunity for Morris. Briles won four Texas high school championships at Stephenville before being hired as an offensive assistant by Mike Leach at Texas Tech. He spent five years as head coach at Houston before taking the Baylor job in 2008. Ironically, Morris was his successor at Stephenville.

There isn’t any urgency for Morris, 43, to move. He’s the highest paid assistant in the nation and Clemson loses its center, running back and starting tight end (and maybe its most productive receiver) , but returns an All-American quarterback, nine of its top 10 offensive linemen and very skilled and talented group receivers.

If Morris leaves Swinney would be faced with a transition similar to when Rich Rodriguez left Tommy Bowden’s staff for West Virginia, and that ended poorly.

While it would be awkward initially for Clemson, the opportunities for Morris may soon not be better once everything shakes out.

Swinney had hoped to keep the staff intact for at least one more season.

Openings at Arkansas, Colorado, Tennessee, Cal and Boston College may result in a few sleepless night for a couple more weeks.