Riley tops list of coordinators to watch as potential head coaching candidates
By: Staff Report May 23, 2023

Ahead of the upcoming college football campaign, a national outlet named some coordinators to watch in 2023, listing six of those to keep an eye on as potential Power Five head coaching candidates.

Clemson’s Garrett Riley tops CBS Sports’ list of college football coordinators poised to emerge as head coaching candidates in 2023.

Here’s what CBS Sports’ David Cobb had to say about the Tigers’ new offensive play-caller, who joined Dabo Swinney’s staff in January after spending the past three seasons as an offensive coordinator — first calling plays for Sonny Dykes at SMU before following Dykes to TCU last season:

“At 33 years old, Riley is a rising star tasked with revitalizing Clemson’s offense in his first season with the Tigers. If he can pull it off, he’ll find himself in the mix for Power Five head coaching jobs. Riley spent the last three seasons as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Sonny Dykes at SMU and TCU, and he also spent time as a quarterback at Texas Tech under Mike Leach. In case those connections aren’t enough, Riley is also the younger brother of USC coach Lincoln Riley. With such strong ties to other successful coaches and a blossoming track record of his own, Riley is poised to become one of the sport’s biggest names in the years ahead.”

One of the top young assistants in the sport, Riley won the Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant coach last season in helping the Horned Frogs reach the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history.

Riley’s offense finished ninth nationally in scoring (38.8 points per game). TCU also ranked 27th in total offense (455 yards per game), 31st in rushing (193.3) and 39th in passing (26.17). Under Riley’s tutelage, TCU quarterback Max Duggan also won the Davey O’Brien Award as college football’s top signal caller.

In Riley’s two seasons as SMU’s coordinator, the Mustangs ranked in the top 15 in yards and points. His offenses have never averaged fewer than 38.4 points.

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