Tyler Grisham has been coaching alongside Brandon Streeter for the last eight years at Clemson. There aren’t many coaches that Grisham would consider more detailed than the Tigers’ first-year offensive coordinator.
Why is that exactly?
“He has loads of documents to help us stay detailed,” said Grisham, the former Clemson receiver who now coaches the position on Dabo Swinney’s staff.
Only the drawers in Streeter’s office don’t contain as many papers as they used to. Streeter has gone digital in his new role, one he took over once Tony Elliott left to take the head coaching job at Virginia. Since breaking into the coaching profession in 2002, Streeter has meticulously jotted down notes, concepts and plays on countless pieces of paper that he keeps organized in folders in those drawers.
At least he used to.
“I was a folder guy. So I went from a folder guy to an iPad guy,” Streeter said. “I’ve got plenty of folders in the drawers in my office that I don’t even use anymore.”
Streeter has moved the majority of their contents onto the handheld computer, which is a 180-degree pivot from his usual organizational system. Streeter said the years-long habit of writing everything down started by watching his father, Barry, who spent nearly four decades as the head coach at Division III Gettysburg College before retiring following the 2017 season.
“I always was at his office and the practices,” Streeter said. “He was always a detailed-oriented guy.”
That stuck with the younger Streeter once he began his coaching career after serving as Clemson’s starting quarterback for two years, first as a quarterbacks coach at Charleston Southern before returning to Clemson as a graduate assistant in the mid-2000s. Other stops included Liberty and Richmond before Streeter found himself back at Clemson in 2014 as Swinney’s quarterbacks coach.
When he was promoted in December, Streeter decided to take advantage of technological advances.
“Some of the younger guys on staff obviously are just tech-savvy and just do a good job with that stuff,” Streeter said. “And the older guys on staff – and I’m not talking about me – it just takes a little longer to make that transition. Paper is just something we’ve been wearing out.”
Now just about anything Streeter needs is just a touch or two away on a screen. There are some things that remain on paper – practice schedules and call sheets, for example – but Streeter estimated 90% of his playbook inventory has been transferred to the iPad.
“It’s been able to help me be a lot more efficient and find things a lot cleaner,” he said. “Not have as many folders everywhere. It’s been a lot cleaner whether it’s game planning or just getting organized.”
Streeter’s attention to detail, though, remains the same.
“He always had paper. This January, he made a big transition to get an iPad,” quarterback D.J. Uiagaleleli said. “It’s been cool, but he’s real detailed with his stuff, and he wants stuff done his way.
“He pays attention to the finest details, and I like that a lot about him. He doesn’t let little things slide, and I feel like that’s a big thing coming in being an offensive coordinator.”
Streeter said that was never going to change, particularly when it came to coaching up his position.
“Like a lot of coaches say, it’s all about the little things,” Streeter said. “And that’s the biggest thing we need to improve on from last year is being way more consistent with the little details of every position’s job and what their responsibilities are. So I’m very, very thorough with that, and I want to make sure the quarterbacks are on the same page, No. 1, and then just detailed with exactly what they’re supposed to.”
As for his proficiency working the iPad, Streeter acknowledged that’s still a work in progress.
“I’m still learning,” he said. “I’m not a 10 yet.”
Dear Old Clemson has loaded up the online store with items like Myles Murphy signed cards and many items from our event for Clemson softball.
Now there is a new way you can support Clemson student-athletes. Purchase collectibles from Dear Old Clemson and the proceeds with go to support Clemson student-athletes. Visit Dear Old Clemson to find out how you can help!
