End of season report: Clemson coaching

By Bob Wilson  |   Friday, March 09, 2007  |  Comments( 8 )

Clemson Tigers
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Much of Clemson's late-season collapse in 2006 was placed squarely on head coach Tommy Bowden's shoulders. His decision making and quarterback Will Proctor's poor play were the center of most of the griping coming from Tiger fans after another disappointing season.

Not all of the coaching calls were bad, though. The staff's decision to go with a quick snap on the James Davis run at the end of the Florida State game probably won the contest for Clemson. Looking back, a win in Tallahassee last year wasn't that rare for a visiting squad; however, the Seminoles were undefeated at the time.

The coaches showed the ability to keep the players from quitting on them in Winston Salem. It would have been easy to give up against Wake Forest considering the Tigers' recent history with the Demon Deacons. The coaches kept the players' heads in the game, though, which allowed Gaines Adams and friends to pull out a come-from-behind victory.

Clemson completely shut down former Georgia Tech All-American receiver Calvin Johnson thanks to a masterful game plan. It was the first time in his career that Johnson didn't make a single reception. The defensive coaches did a pretty solid job all year and overcame one injury after the next. Despite losing several impact players, the defense was ranked in the top 20 in every meaningful category for most of the season.

However, the coaches definitely had their bad moments, too. Bowden and his staff once again showed an inability to make in-game adjustments. While most good teams are able to make halftime changes, Clemson seems to struggle in that area more often than not.

There were also some other problems that persisted throughout the entire season and were never fixed. The Tigers' kickoff coverage team, for instance, struggled all season and regularly put the defense in a hole. The passing game was nonexistent after the FSU game and was never addressed.

Late-game play calling was another issue. The calls made at the end of the Maryland and South Carolina matchups stodd out. In each instance, a touchdown likely would have won the game. However, as soon as the offense reached the red zone, the plays became incredibly conservative. The Tigers proved that playing not to lose is often a recipe for losing.

While the coaches had their ups and downs, most Clemson followers would probably agree that Bowden needs to do a much better coaching job if he wants to remain with the Tigers.
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CommentsComments: 8  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
Marc H.		06:42 AM
03/09/2007
Admittedly I'm one of the ones who puts the vast majority of the blame on Bowden. Making bad calls and playing not to lose are ...
No.2
floyd rogers		07:36 AM
03/09/2007
100% correct, tb's gametime coaching is a D. at best. see the same poor decisions every year. when will we change ? now, OP. ...
No.3
Clay		06:15 PM
03/09/2007
This article and the follow up comments are right on the money!For several years now as a tiger fan,I've watched this coach ...
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