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Clemson OC Garrett Riley, Mickey Conn fired by coach Dabo Swinney
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- Clemson OC Garrett Riley, Mickey Conn fired by coach Dabo Swinney
CLEMSON — Clemson football offensive coordinator Garrett Riley and defensive passing game coordinator Mickey Conn have been fired, the school announced Dec. 29.
This changes come after Clemson (7-6) missed the ACC championship and College Football Playoff despite being preseason favorites to make both. The Tigers returned the most production of any FBS or FCS program this season but underachieved after starting the season 1-3.
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This is Clemson coach Dabo Swinney 's second straight season firing a coordinator after firing defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin last season.
What Dabo Swinney said about firing Garrett Riley
"I have made the decision to make a change at offensive coordinator," Swinney said in a statement. "This was a very difficult decision. These decisions are never easy, especially when you really love and care for the people that are involved, and I deeply love and care for Garrett Riley and his family.
"At the end of the day, we just did not get the production and the results that we needed, and I just feel like it is time for a change, and so we will be moving in a different direction with a new offensive coordinator.
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"I just want to thank Garrett for all that he did for us here at Clemson and leading us and helping us secure another ACC championship in 2024 and get us back to the College Football Playoff that year. I appreciate all of his efforts on behalf of our players and our program. Garrett is smart, he's got great work ethic and he's a great coach, but it just didn't work like we both wanted. He's got an amazing career ahead and he'll be a great head coach in the future."
Riley was hired as Clemson's offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach in 2023 to replace Brandon Streeter. The Tigers averaged 29.8 points (52nd in FBS) that season and improved in 2024 to average 34.7 points (18th).
Yet, Clemson's offense regressed in 2025 to average 27.2 (70th) despite having quarterback Cade Klubnik , talented skill-position players and an experienced offensive line. Swinney had two gripes regarding Clemson's offense: lack of run game and not being efficient on third down.
Clemson finished the season with a 22-10 loss to Penn State in the Pinstripe Bowl on Dec. 27.
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The Tigers averaged 124.5 rushing yards per game (104th) and were 60-of-175 (34.4%) on third downs (114th).
Riley was Clemson's second-highest paid assistant, making $1.75 million annually with two years left on his contract. His pay only trailed defensive coordinator Tom Allen, who made $1.9 million this season.
What Dabo Swinney said about firing Mickey Conn
Clemson hired Conn in 2017 as safeties coach. He added defensive passing game coordinator and co-special teams coordinator titles prior to the 2025 season.
"We will also have a change with the leadership of our safeties with the departure of Mickey Conn," Swinney said in a school release. "Coach Conn is someone that I've known since 1990 and he truly is family to me. He has done an amazing job here at Clemson.
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"He's been with us since 2016 — 10 years — and he's been coaching the safeties since 2017 and coached a bunch of great safeties for us, including R.J. Mickens, who is a starting safety in the NFL as a rookie this year.
"I'm just so appreciative of Mickey and the great contribution that he's made at Clemson over the last decade. I'm thankful for his family as well. I'm excited for upcoming opportunities he may have to go and call a defense and take the next step in his career.
"I'm forever grateful for Mickey and all the outstanding players he's coached and all the memorable wins and championships we've earned together in the last decade.
"I am excited about the plan we have in place for our secondary and our defensive staff, and I am looking forward to identifying the right leader for our offense to help achieve our goals for 2026 and beyond."
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Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at DCarter@usatodayco.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Dabo Swinney fires Clemson OC Garrett Riley, Mickey Conn
