SMU offensive coordinator Garrett Riley was set to take over the offense at Appalachian State, which finished the year No. 20 in the College Football Playoff rankings and was on the edge of a New Year’s Six bowl. However, the allure of coaching one of the nation’s best offenses in his home state of Texas was hard to pass up.
"I wasn't going to leave just to leave,” Riley said. “It had to check all the boxes. It was a chance to come back to Texas and be part of a program that has had some lows in the past, but is now a program that is trending upwards."