Clemson offensive coordinator Garrett Riley recently addressed the buzz surrounding his potential candidacy for the head coaching job at East Carolina University (ECU).
East Carolina fired head coach Mike Houston after falling to 3-4 earlier this season. Houston was the first head coach to be fired this season among FBS jobs. Shortly after Houston's dismissal, Riley's name emerged among potential candidates, sparking speculation about who might fill the vacant position.
Riley, who has led a resurgence in the Clemson offense after facing struggles in 2023, is the brother of Lincoln Riley. The offensive coordinator, who helped lead TCU to a National Championship appearance in 2022 is considered one of the brightest young offensive minds in the game.
In response to the rumors, Riley made it clear that he is firmly committed to his current role at Clemson. During a recent press conference, Riley acknowledged the chatter but downplayed its significance.
"No, I mean, I’m always in a rabbit hole," Riley remarked when asked if he had heard his name being mentioned for the ECU job. “That’s why I was a couple of minutes late here, doing some red zone and goal line (watching film). I mean, I know chatter will happen at times. But, man, I’m where my feet are.”
Riley does have a connection to ECU. His career in coaching began there, serving as a graduate assistant and later as a wide receiver coach. This background has led some to believe that ECU could be a natural next step in Riley’s career.
That being said, it might not make much financial sense for Riley to jump from Clemson right now.
He is set to have basically every single offensive weapon return in 2025 — other than RB Phil Mafah and TE Jake Briningstool — and the Tigers will likely enter 2025 with potentially one of the top offenses in the country. If he can have a successful back-half of 2024 and then build upon that in 2025, there's no reason to believe that Riley wouldn't be setting himself up for a Power-4 coaching job shortly after that.
No matter what his decision is, nothing will happen until after the 2024 season comes to an end. Riley did not shoot down the rumors, but it seems he is focused on helping the Tigers win right now, rather than looking ahead to what might be his next destination.