Phillips’ presence on sideline might jeopardize Clemson’s coaching search

By Marc Hudgens  |   Monday, October 20, 2008  |  Comments( 10 )

 Clemson Tigers
Was there anything inherently wrong with athletic director Terry Don Phillips standing among the players and coaches during Clemson’s 21-17 loss to Georgia Tech in Death Valley on Saturday, just five days after the dismissal of longtime head coach Tommy Bowden? According to the fans and Phillips himself, no. “I have always come to the sidelines...
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CommentsComments: 10
 No.1
NB		 12:04 PM
10/20/2008
I think too much ado is being made out of an AD being on the sideline. Dabo Swinney is responsible for getting this team ready, not the AD. Jerry Jones does it at Dallas, and in my opinion, any person who is a superior has a right to stand on the sidelines if he wants, after all, he is interested in the progress of the team as much as anyone else. I believe ESPN announcer Andre Ware was off base with the comment he made. Dabo Swinney needs no excuses any more than Tommy Bowden needed them. He is responsible as head coach for putting a winning team on that field, and he will be against BC and Fla. State. I totally agree with the author that Clemson is at a crossraods with it's football fortunes, that if they hire to right guy, a string of ACC titles will be won. Unfortunately, it isn't Coach Swinney. Enthusiasm, excitement, and being liked by fans and players is one thing, but moral victories are still losses. Clemson looks like a team that will have another 4 or 5 "moral victories" coming, and that spells a losing season and no bowl. My opinion, clean the house, for NONE of these TB remnants should be retained. A new hi-profile guy is what Clemson football needs at the end of the season to solve this mess, and the national search should have started right after the GeorgiaTech game.
 No.2
Badin DC		 12:57 PM
10/20/2008
Didn't you read what Phillips was doing on the sidelines. It's in your article. He wasn't there to tell the coaches what to do and he does this every game. What's wrong with that. Is it wrong to take a vested interest in the game and come on down and support the team. Get a clue!!
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 No.3
Marc Hudgens		 03:19 PM
10/20/2008
The point of this column isn't whether Phillips on the sideline looks good or bad to me, nor is it about his stated reasons for being there; it's how it appears to potential head coaches. And Phillips saying he's on the sideline all the time may bode even worse to said prospects. Don't you think it's plausible that, as well-intentioned as it is, it may send the wrong message to candidates? That's the point.
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