Pressure on Clemson’s Phillips to land big-time coach

By Marc Hudgens  |   Monday, October 27, 2008  |  Comments( 2 )

 Clemson Tigers
You’d have to be flat-out blind to argue against the immediate, and positive, impact of the ACC’s new coaching hires over the past two years. In only their first seasons, Paul Johnson has Georgia Tech rolling with its top rushing offense in years and David Cutcliffe has Duke looking its best since dinosaurs roamed the earth. In only his second...
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CommentsComments: 2
 No.1
RazzMaTazz		 01:37 PM
10/27/2008
Unfortunately, Clemson's AD, Terry Don Phillips, recently used code words like "ties to the region" & "fit for the culture" instead of Southern Protesant when talking about his prerequisites for head coach. TDP would probably be willing to hire a Yankee (since he hired Miles) or a West Coaster, but I don't think Clemson's old boy boosters would let him. Maybe, if Pete Carroll begged for the job, they'd say OK, but it seems that TDP has already ruled out some of the best candidates like Lane Kiffin (from Minnesota, former OC at USC, & former Oakland Raiders HC) or Chris Peterson (from CA, current HC of Boise St, and a Scientologist). I just can't think of any big-name southern coaches that would take the job. (Spurrier would be good but he's tainted from having coached at SoCar.)

Apparently, TDP will ignore the fact that a coach doesn't need ties to region. For example, Urban Meyer (who is from Ohio & coached mostly in Ohio) went on to great success (including an undefeated season and BCS bowl) at Utah, where he had no ties to the region. Then he went to Florida where he's had great success and a national championship, despite having no ties to the region. Butch Davis is kicking butt at UNC, despite having no ties to the region. Etc. A good head coach can hire (or retain) assistants who have ties to the region. And what Clemson football needs is a NEW CULTURE that DOES NOT FIT with the existing, soft, excuses-R-us, culture.

So, I expect TDP to make an unproven, small-time choice like local hero, Bobby Johnson (who's Vandy team just lost to Duke), or Dabo Swinney, or Will Muschamp. In fact, I'll be surprised if it isn't one of those three guys. I'd say that about the best we could hope for would be somebody like Will Muschamp.

TDP gave Tommy Bowden multiple extensions when the rest of us could see that Bowden was mediocre, so I have no confidence in him to make a good hire.
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