Clemson has time to win back former commitments, gain new ones

By Marc Hudgens  |   Thursday, October 23, 2008  |  Comments( 7 )

 Clemson Tigers
Most orange-clad recruiting junkies in Tigertown have long been hospitalized with chronic aneurysms caused by the stress of worrying about Clemson’s recruiting taking a big hit. Granted, the Tiger program has been punched in the mouth after the release of former skipper Tommy Bowden, which is common after most coaching changes. Like firings,...
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CommentsComments: 7
 No.1
NB		 12:23 PM
10/23/2008
Every time there is a coaching change in college, there are lost recruits, unless a BIG-name coach is hired. It is no surprise that some of TB's recruits are defecting, but the hire of a Bill Cowher, Lane Kiffin or a Chris Peterson would change all that. In fact, with either of those caliber of hires, Clemson would draw even better recruits because of the pro football potential factors setting in. Therefore, I wholeheartedly agree with the author's submission that depending on a TOP hire, Clemson will get even higher-tier recruits than they would have under Bowden. This is truly a very CRITICAL moment in Clemson football history, because of the possibility of landing a high-profile, BCS-type mentor exists. I will repeat myself as I have in previous messages: As much as some Clemson fans may like Dabo Swinney, he is NOT the man to bring Clemson back to national respectability. He reminds me of Tommy West several years ago, a guy who loved Clemson, bled orange, had youthful enthusiasm, etc., but could not deliver the goods. His hiring would again set the program back for several years, and this is NOT the future the Tigers need anymore: a middle-of-the-road program that can't get a major bowl. The stage is set for Clemson: they have great athletes, great facilities, great fan support, and a strong Div. I presence in the world of major college sports. Any high-profile coach would be interested, so the time is now: Hire a nationally-known coach who can bring glory back to the fold. The opportunity is laying on a gold platter now, so don't pass it up. In the TV show "extreme makover" you will notice when a house is rebuilt, it is destroyed beforehand, and then it is rebuilt. None of the previous parts of the house is retained: it is newly-replaced. It is the same for the Clemson Tiger football program. The house(all previous TB coaches) must be removed. Then and only then will the Clemson program reach it's 1980s glory again, and possibly a greater realm of glory than then.
 No.2
RazzMaTazz		 06:58 PM
10/23/2008
I wonder if many of those recruits would have decommitted anyway because of Clemson's W-L results rather than because of Bowden's ousting. I suspect that Bowden's ousting gave some recruits a convenient excuse to do what they would have done anyway. I never thought we'd keep Texas's Loston through signing day, any more than I thought we'd keep Georgia's AJ Harmon last season. No doubt that a big name coach (like Kiffin or Peterson) could stop the recruiting losses, and possibly have a net positive effect. I'm concerned that TDP is saying that he won't make a decision until December. I hope that's not true. One of the biggest advantages of firing Bowden early is that you can try to hire Kiffin early. Why not try?
 No.3
NB		 12:11 PM
10/24/2008
Good points, Razz. The TB won-loss mark at the end could have made some recruits veer away anyway.
Kiffin would be able to recruit California kids because of his USC/Oakland Raider connection. Peterson is just flat out good. This guy gets more out of less than any coach in America, and he has a good West Coast recruiting base. Either choice would be smart for Clemson in terms of the future. I must admit however, that if Bill Cowher were grabbed, this would be an OUTSTANDING hire. 2 Super Bowls (one won), several AFC divisional titles, hard-nosed coach who belives in blocking and tackling, the best man for the job actually. I guess I can dream on that one.
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