Today in 2008: The Interim Designation was Removed from Dabo's Title as HC

CBProf® · 2023-12-01T14:21:01.268Z

At the time you could count Dabo's 4 wins as a Head Coach on one hand. Fast forward 15 years later and you find: - 8 ACC Championships - 6 Playoff Appearances - 4 National Title Game Appearances - 2 National Championships - And a Clemson Record 169 Victories – and Counting Great, great press conference that is worth another watch if you have some spare time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAy3xEnbO4Y Dabo showed a lot of emotion at his press conference in 2008. He described a “Bittersweet Day” in becoming a Head Coach, but he still hated that it came at the expense of his friend and mentor Tommy Bowden. Message was edited by: CBProf®

CBProf®

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You were certainly not alone!

Dec 1, 2023, 12:19 PM

I admit I thought Clemson should have hired someone with HC experience who had already proven he knew how to win.

And who can forget our buddy at ESPN, Pat Forde, who rated Dabo as a D+ hire! Good call, there, Pat!

According to Forde:
"Clemson. The hire: Swinney, who was recruiting coordinator and wide receivers coach until Tommy Bowden was whacked in midseason. The grade: D-plus.

Swinney was part and parcel of a failed season, but somehow got a promotion out of the deal. Who knew that beating Duke and Virginia could lead to such ample rewards? Clemson fans loved the fact that the Tigers closed the regular season by beating rival South Carolina. But hey, Bowden beat the Gamecocks seven times in nine tries and look where that got him. Swinney has the same thing going for him that Sarkisian has at Washington: the in-conference competition in the ACC isn't that stiff."

https://www.espn.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&sportCat=ncf&id=3777520

Credit to Terry Don Phillips for seeing the potential in Dabo and making a relatively risky hire!

Very glad that Dabo proved all of the doubters wrong and proved Terry Don right!

Message was edited by: CBProf®