Monday September 29, 2008

Give Dabo His Chance

Give Dabo His Chance
Normally, Monday I review Saturday’s game but I felt it was more appropriate to go in another direction today.

I want to start by saying that in 10 years of hosting my radio show that I have never called for a coach to be fired. It is just not my style. I am a “glass half-full” person and have never been one to call for a coach to be fired.

I also want to add that I really like Tommy Bowden. I like him as a person. He has been very good to me and I respect him. I want to add that Clemson is a better program today than it was when Bowden took it over.

I spent most of the last half of this past weekend on the phone. I called every former coach, former Clemson coach, former player and big-time booster I could. I just listened. My gut told me Saturday that it was time to make a move but I wanted take a day to take emotions out of it and talk to those in the coaching industry that knew more about it than I do.

Over the past four or five years there have been multiple occasions where callers on my radio show or e-mailers to my blog or websites have called for Bowden’s head and I have defended him. I have defended his position every time in public and in private. I always felt there was a reason not to make that move. I always felt there was something more positive in the future under Bowden. I tried to rationalize him staying on as the coach.

However, this is a different time and this is a different place. My opinion might not be worth anything and I am not trying to convince you to change your mind no matter what you think on this subject. But I have concluded that now is the time to make a change.

I am tired of a divided Clemson nation. I am ready to be reunited. I just can’t see how he can escape this one. It is about to get really bad around here. I think it will be Hatfield bad. The feeling I get is that people are ticked and are not going to take it anymore.

Clemson has been more than fair to Tommy Bowden. He has had nine plus years to win a title and he may win one this year but I have lost all confidence in that happening. He may not lose again this year and go on to win multiple championships. I would love to be wrong but I can’t see that happening.

Nothing would make me happier than making a phone call to Tommy on the Monday after the ACC title game to congratulate him and tell him I am sorry because I was wrong.

But, Clemson fans have given Bowden nine and a half years. They have been more than fair and he has had more than enough time.

Florida Athletic Director Jeremy Foley once fired a coach in mid-season and rationalized it by saying, “What should be done eventually, must be done immediately.” Foley fired his great friend Ron Zook and hired Urban Meyer.

On Sunday night I made follow up calls to several coaches and informed them of my thoughts and none of them thought it was a bad idea.

So here is my opinion of what Terry Don Phillips should do:
1. Inform Tommy Bowden today that he has been released as the head coach.
2. Name Dabo Swinney as the interim head coach.

I doubt Clemson would do this but here is my thoughts behind this action.
*I am pretty sure Terry Don does not think Bowden is the man to lead this program. I am pretty sure he wanted to let Bowden go to Arkansas last year but Jim Barker told him to get a deal done and Bowden was given a new contract.

*If this is the case and Terry Don does not believe Bowden is the right man to lead this program in the future then, “what should be done eventually, must be done immediately.” Terry Don says he doesn’t evaluate a coach in the middle of a season but this is an evaluation in the middle of nine and a half seasons.

*Naming an interim coach gives this team and these seniors a chance to regroup. This team could still go on to win an ACC title.

*If Clemson continues to falter then the interim head coach is not retained as the head coach. But if the interim head coach wins then Terry Don does not need to go through a national coaching search because he already has his man.

*This also gives Clemson a chance to get a head start on the coaching search. Schools like Tennessee and Virginia may be looking for a head coach and Clemson officials could be getting their ducks in a row and get ahead of other searches.

*I talked to several current college coaches Sunday about the idea of interim coaches and most agreed interim tags are a better idea than keeping a guy around as a lame duck. Players are held accountable because of the chance the interim coach may still be around. Discipline is more prominent under interims as opposed to lame ducks.

My gut tells me Terry Don already knows what he wants to do about Bowden’s future. He may say he always waits until the end of a season to evaluate a program but he has a nine and a half year resume of what he currently has under Bowden.

When Steve Spurrier resigned at Florida he made the comment that the former president of Florida told him after retiring from the school. The president told Spurrier that 10 years was enough. He said the school needs new ideas and new energy after 10 years of leadership. At his press conference Spurrier, who obviously enjoyed a tremendous amount of success, concluded that 12 years was long enough for him. Sometimes people need new challenges and teams need an injection of leadership.

My choice is to go interim and to go with Dabo. Brad Scott and Vic Koenning have been head coaches and more experience but Clemson is not going to hire either as the head coach. I know the administration likes Dabo. Why not give him the shot and see if he can win his way into the full-time gig?

Again, I like Tommy Bowden. I think he is a good man, a good husband, a good father and a good football coach. I just don’t think he can survive this now.

IPTAY raised $21 million last year because of seat equity but many upped without getting better seats. I think you will see a big drop in IPTAY donations next season because people will realize they can go down and still keep the same seats.

I just can’t see Bowden on the road at IPTAY meetings this spring promising new hope and new enthusiasm without an ACC title. Some say Clemson cannot afford to fire Bowden but I would say unless they win a title this year then they cannot afford not to fire him.

Some will point out the bottom line and the buyout. They may bring up attendance and IPTAY records. But sometimes it has to be about more than the bottom line. I think it is time to make a statement about your core. Clemson should be about winning championships and not the bottom line.

I remember well the end of the Parker, Pell, Ford, Hatfield and West eras. Tommy West was a very good friend and it hurt me to realize what I had to realize but it was time for the Tigers to make a change.

It hurts to come to this conclusion today because I like Tommy Bowden. But I love Clemson and have concluded it is time to go in another direction.

My gut told me that Saturday but the phone conversations Sunday only confirmed it. I have talked to a bunch of people since Saturday’s game including some boosters who have given hundreds of thousands of dollars, several former players and several former Clemson assistants including a few who are still in coaching. I did not speak to anyone on the current staff. I have not talked to anyone that is still fully committed to Bowden.

Speaking of committed, I would look for high school prospects that have committed to Clemson to start taking a look around.

Maybe this team will rebound and maybe they will win the ACC this season, but good football teams don’t lose to Maryland at home. Please don’t try to tell me Maryland is a good football team. Clemson has lost the last two games to Maryland at home despite being 19 point and 13 point favorites.

Tommy knows you have to win championships and he knows 10 years is a long time to win his first one. He also knows you can’t lose games to teams like the one he lost to on Saturday.

Those losses hurt but this is just a repeat of the same storyline of the last few seasons. This loss brings me to go with my gut and say it is time for a change.

So here is the real issue: Terry Don, if you think Bowden is the right man to lead this program in 2009 and beyond then stay the course. But if you think he should not lead this program in 2009 and beyond then today is the day to act. What should be done eventually must be done immediately. Give Dabo a shot. Who knows, you may not have to jet set all over the country looking for the next coach of the Tigers if you already have him right here on campus.

Those are my opinions. They may be wrong but they are from my gut and I am fully committed to them. I have conviction about these opinions and want thank you for taking a few minutes to read them.

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