Clemson football’s incredible journey to becoming Alabama’s equal
January 9, 2011
After two seasons as the Clemson offensive coordinator, now-Louisiana head coach Billy Napier was relieved of his duties and the Tigers were left searching for a new OC. This followed a 2010 season that saw Clemson fall under the .500 mark and put the coaching hire of Dabo Swinney back into question.
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Swinney went before the media and announced that Clemson would never have another losing season under his control, little did he know what success he would reach after making such a comment. His search for a new offensive coordinator came down between Tulsa offensive coordinator Chad Morris and TCU co-offensive coordinator Justin Fuente.
The Tigers decided to go with Morris.
Morris did not have had the coordinator experience of Fuente and he was coaching high school football two seasons prior but he brought in an up-tempo, spaced out, read-option offense that he had studied under Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn.
This hire led to a Clemson offense that finished No. 88 overall in total offense nationally improving drastically to No. 26 nationally behind quarterback Tajh Boyd and wide receivers Nuk Hopkins and Sammy Watkins.
Although Morris would leave to take the head coaching position at SMU several seasons later, his offense is the cornerstone on which the current Clemson offense is built on.