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Varsity [226]
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The Dabo hire..
Aug 29, 2018, 8:11 AM
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What did you think of the Dabo hire in the beginning?
I liked the hire but with reservations. I thought this guy has lots of energy and was excited about the opportunity to prove the naysayers wrong. I didn't expect us to be where we are today but I'm loving it. Terry Don went out on a limb because he saw something special in Dabo. Thank you Terry Don for giving Dabo a chance! Also, thank you Dabo for taking Clemson to the forefront of college football and doing it the right way!
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All-In [40100]
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You described my feelings. I loved the excitement, the spunk, the
Aug 29, 2018, 8:13 AM
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Desire to win, energy. A touch skeptical but liked that he was interim first to see if he could win. Then it just got better.
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Heisman Winner [105574]
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I think the only person who thought Dabo would be this
Aug 29, 2018, 8:16 AM
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great for Clemson, is Dabo. I was pretty happy with the hire, but never imagined this type of success.
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Oculus Spirit [90722]
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Thought DaBO was naïve but full of pump with a Bama pettigree.
Aug 29, 2018, 8:21 AM
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Knew we got him cheap, so go with Da BOY 4 a year or two and see how he does.
Beating Coots that year sealed the deal 4 me..at least for another year..but jury was still out!
Now, What a Hire..Top Manager-like Head Coach anywhere, Firebrand, Mentor, Man with Values & Principles, Sees the Future & Plans 4 it, Winner, Charming, Dale Carnegie Speech Giver, Funny, Likable (unless you’re a Coot), Yada-Yada-Yada!
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Orange Blooded [2939]
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"Bama pettigree" ugh... I'm sick of hearing about Bama. I
Aug 29, 2018, 9:21 AM
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understand your point LBB but you see coots can't beat us to save their lives of course so suddenly there are Bama stickers on top of where their coot and Gamecock club decals used to reside. They wear coot hats and Bama t-shirts and ESPN has all but opened a regional branch in Tuscaloosa. If it weren't for Bama and now suddenly Georgia who started signing number one or two classes overnight in the rankings the SEC wouldn't be very much. Still it is what it is and I agree Bama is a great team.
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Legend [15863]
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Clemson and Bama are linked through time and football
Aug 29, 2018, 11:25 AM
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that is not gonna wash off very easily ......
We just need to BEAT Bama the next time we play them this year in the Natty.
we need 2 Natty wins against Bama to go with our KO over Nebraska with Danny as coach. who also played ( and coached Oline ) at Bama .....
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Orange Blooded [2397]
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Re: The Dabo hire..
Aug 29, 2018, 8:19 AM
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I wasn't thrilled. I thought Dabo said all the right things at the press conference, as any new coach would. I knew I'd pull for him because he was the Clemson coach, and I assumed (hoped) that Tommy Bowden and TDP knew something about him that I didn't. Imagine that, knowing more than a Tigernet expert!
Turns out TDPand CTB were right as was my assumption. As always, stay on the bandwagon, let the driver drive and enjoy the ride.
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All-TigerNet [13359]
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Re: The Dabo hire..
Aug 29, 2018, 8:34 AM
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I thought Dabo would be named head coach because of the recruiting situation we were in at the time. That said, I thought he was going to hold the position for a year or two max as we opened up our search for a bigger name.
Spoiler alert- I WAS WRONG
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Orange Blooded [4142]
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Re: The Dabo hire..
Aug 29, 2018, 10:49 PM
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From the beginning , Clemson football has always had their greatest success without the benefit of a big name coach.
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110%er [8008]
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I loved the hire from day one.
Aug 29, 2018, 8:37 AM
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It wasn't just his energy and enthusiasm for the job. I saw he had the leadership abilities needed to be successful. It's what I look for when I'm making a hire. If it works in the business world it can work in football.
I knew he would be successful, but I never dreamed he would be this successful.
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Orange Blooded [4896]
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Same. What I didn’t know about him then was his belief in himself.
Aug 29, 2018, 8:47 AM
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He really is one in a million. I think he would be successful in just about anything he set his mind to. He believes in himself AND he puts in the work and brains to be successful. He doesn’t seem to doubt himself or the plan when there are bumps in the road. He’s younger than me but frankly wish I could be more like him.
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Letterman [295]
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I'll be honest here
Aug 29, 2018, 9:01 AM
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I was disappointed. Tommy Bowden had a "name" to him, and when he was let go, it was inferred that Clemson was going to go out and find an even bigger "name", someone to put Clemson on the map.
It was like Dabo Swinney was never heard of, and as an outsider looking in, it felt like Clemson was opting for a less-expensive option.
Let's just say Dabo and Terry Don proved me wrong by miles. Go Tigers!
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All-Conference [414]
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Re: I'll be honest here
Aug 29, 2018, 11:55 AM
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Yeah, I felt similarly. My understanding of college football at the time was that if a coach was fired at a big program then the hottest coach available at that time would be hired.
A couple of years into his tenure I could tell he was different and was making big changes to the core and culture of the program. So I pulled for him the whole time hoping we'd get over the hump. I never imagined he'd have the type of success he is having though.
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CU Guru [1640]
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I’m not sure which game it was a few years before
Aug 29, 2018, 9:01 AM
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He was named interim head coach.
We were getting beat and the body language of the players and the coaches were that of dejection.
EXCEPT for Dabo and the WRs. He was coaching and patting his players on the helmets and encouraging them. I always looked for him in games after that.
Some family members were aloof to his being named b cause they had no idea who he was. They were asking me, Who is Dabo Swinney? Most not pronouncing his name correctly. I told them it was a good decision and we should have some fun watching his teams play.
It was a rough couple of years especially with the coots but I had not doubt he would turn it around. Great hires and his attitude.
Also... he has not stopped learning! He is only going to get better as a coach. Try to grasp that!
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Orange Blooded [4142]
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Re: I’m not sure which game it was a few years before
Aug 29, 2018, 11:27 PM
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I was at that game , too . It was late in the game and it was obvious we were going to lose .
A bunch of players were sitting on the bench with their heads down , looking very dejected . I can remember it like it was yesterday . Dabo went down the bench slapping players on the shoulders and telling them to get their heads up .
It was at this time I thought to myself that this guy (Dabo ) ought to be the head coach of this outfit .
I just didn't think it would take so long to become reality . TDP was a football man and he knew Tommy needed to go , but the President felt satisfied cause we were going to bowl games,keeping players out of trouble, and graduating a high number . Very safe , but very average results .
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Orange Blooded [2939]
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I'm really going to be honest. I didn't understand the
Aug 29, 2018, 9:11 AM
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decision at the time since he had never even been a coordinator and I thought the DC should've been named the interim. Needless to say Dabo and the DC didn't exactly get along swimmingly when Dabo was the chosen one. Then when I heard Dabo was such a person of strong faith and the leadership qualities he demonstrated I immediately felt better. I still wasn't sold on him until we beat the coots then I decided he deserved a shot as permanent head coach.
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CU Medallion [64517]
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Honestly...
Aug 29, 2018, 9:17 AM
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I didn't like it and thought it was a mistake.
My top two choices to replace Bowden were Gary Patterson from TCU or Brian Kelly from Cincinnati.
I've never been so happy to be wrong.
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Orange Blooded [2939]
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A point for your honesty! i thought either Patterson or
Aug 29, 2018, 9:24 AM
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Venables would get the permanent job but then after we crushed the coots at home and most were chanting Dabo's name it was pretty clear he was here to stay. Now I hope he IS here to stay.
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CU Medallion [64517]
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It was HUGE gamble...
Aug 29, 2018, 9:28 AM
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but one that, thankfully, has paid-off for us in a big way.
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All-TigerNet [11478]
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I was on the hill chanting Dabo's name
Aug 29, 2018, 9:20 AM
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We cheered and the coots cried and I was sold.
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Orange Blooded [3908]
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Anyone saying the loved the hire is lying or revisionist.
Aug 29, 2018, 9:21 AM
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Fact is even TDP said if he were not retiring there is no way he hires Dabo....
TDP said he just 'saw something' and wherever he is right now I am sure he is enjoying the outcome.
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Orange Blooded [2939]
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I agree Tiger Town. ***
Aug 29, 2018, 9:26 AM
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nm
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All-In [29036]
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Yep
Aug 29, 2018, 9:31 AM
[ in reply to Anyone saying the loved the hire is lying or revisionist. ] |
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Unless you had true insider information, or knew much more about Dabo than was public knowledge, you had to, at best, see it as a calculated gamble.
And it was. We gambled, and won. Great for Dabo, great for Clemson.
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110%er [8008]
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CU Guru [1640]
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I'm neither a liar nor revisionist. Check my post history
Aug 29, 2018, 5:56 PM
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They won’t check your post history, just like they wouldn’t check mine... they may have to man up and apologize to us and everyone that paid attention to the coaches on the side line. Along with all the friends and family that new it was a great hire. Bowden new it too... that’s why he recommended him... very few to this day give Bowden credit for his recommendation of Dabo to lead the team.
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CU Guru [1336]
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Remember....
Aug 29, 2018, 9:30 AM
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Remember when many were bent on getting Muschamp from Texas?!
I believed in Dabo from the beginning, but my patience, like many others', wore a bit thin during the 2010 season. That season was filled with heart break.
I believe Dabo is a great coach, and a wonderful fit. But I have to think that the turning point in the program was hiring Chad Morris to run an up-tempo, +85 play offense. Chad, Sammy and Tajh really elevated our offense, and then our defense caught up with Venables.
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All-TigerNet [11478]
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Re: Remember....
Aug 29, 2018, 11:03 AM
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That 2010 season was probably one of the best examples of wasting an amazing defense that I have ever seen in football. Time after time our offense put our defense in a terrible position while the defense continued to keep games close and give us a chance to win. Unfortunately our only playmaker on offense, Ellington, spent much of the second half of the year injured. Nuk didn't emerge until very late and was still young. We did what we could with Harper but it led to Watkins, Peake, and Bryant all coming in the following year which along with our new offense really gave the program an identity and allowed us to take off. 2010 was a rough but necessary year for the needed changes to be made.
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CU Guru [1248]
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Re: The Dabo hire..
Aug 29, 2018, 9:35 AM
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I was okay with it just because it was a change.
In 2009 I went to ATL for the game against Tech, I believe it was 2nd game of the season. I know it was a Thursday night. At the end of the 1st quarter I remember telling my sister "I can't believe that a wide receiver coach was the best we could hire." Even though we lost the game the fight in the team after the half was enough to change my mind and fully sell me on Dabo.
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CU Medallion [64517]
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A game the ACC officials stole from us....
Aug 29, 2018, 9:37 AM
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with fantom penalties.
The fake put was a stupid decision and I suspect, in hindsight, Dabo would say the same thing.
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CU Medallion [64972]
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I didn't realy think Terry Don Phillips risked that much
Aug 29, 2018, 10:48 AM
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when he hired Dabo initially. His performance as interim made him worth a shot. But, he risked a LOT when he kept him on after the 2010 season when we went 6-7. It would have been real easy to cut bait at that point, but TDP saw something in Dabo that made him stay the course. And, the rest, as they say, is history. Which, luckily for us, still has the best chapters to come!
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Legend [15863]
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I liked it a lot- maybe more positive than you - I knew we
Aug 29, 2018, 10:57 AM
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needed someone who had more grit than Tommy, more blue collar like Danny.
I thought and hoped Dabo would make us a tougher, more fighter team.
can't say I didn't dream of playing in the Natty 3 years in a row - but here we are doing pretty good.
I think a lot of teams need to just give younger guys/coaches more of an opportunity. old tired coaches with previous experience that haven't beat the world are simply what you get when you re-hire them.
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CU Guru [1544]
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Re: The Dabo hire..
Aug 29, 2018, 11:07 AM
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I must admit that I wasn’t happy. I thought it would just a shorter term fix until we landed a bigger name coach. Boy, was I ever wrong & will honestly say that I am a true blue Dabo supporter!
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Oculus Spirit [90722]
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Super Post “Country BOY”...
Aug 29, 2018, 11:12 AM
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Simple question asked b/4 here but yours created lots of interesting & heartfelt comments about one young untested man who saw Clemson as his place under the Sun to plant his feet & paint it ALL Bright Orange!
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Orange Blooded [2111]
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i liked the hire
Aug 29, 2018, 11:10 AM
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especially after beating the coots! I was wearing my Clemson gear proud that afternoon out in Raleigh (where I live). Many people stopped and talked about Dabo. Our interim coach was known outside of Clemson primarily bc of everything we saw and still see today in him.
Fast forward to after the Bowl game in Charlotte and 6-7 record. I had friends calling for his firing and I kept calm and indicated that we were on the verge of something great if they would just be patient. I remember Boyd saying what just happened wouldn't happen again while he was there. I heard Dabo say that he would make the necessary changes (bringing in Chad Morris). I was sold once again on Dabo.
We have a great one!
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Legend [18069]
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My wife and I were on our honeymoon in Vancouver, BC
Aug 29, 2018, 11:12 AM
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when Bowden "resigned." This was before you could pay a small fee to use your phone/data plan outside of the country, so needless to say my phone was off. I got an email from my mother-in-law that Bowden was done and I immediately turned to my wife and said they HAVE to let Dabo take over until they find a coach. Dabo was pretty well known and liked here on Tigernet, if you guys remember.
When they hired him I was extremely disappointed. I just thought we were going "on the cheap" and selling the Clemson name short.
Boy, I love being this wrong.
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Oculus Spirit [93606]
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You must understand my perspective to appreciate how...
Aug 29, 2018, 11:20 AM
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I felt about Dabo's hire.
I was separated from most of my family and recuperating in E. TN from losing my place at home in Pickens County. I had no internet or access to Clemson news other than national feeds. It is also important to know how I felt about the Clemson coaches since Danny was fired and to know that I was a 1988 graduate. I'll allow you to use your imagination to understand this.
I knew little to nothing about Dabo when he was hired. I saw only the announcement of his hire and his introduction as head coach on national public TV along with clips of him addressing those at the ceremony.
When he welled up I committed to supporting him due to his passion and the fact that he was our coach. Since that day I have questioned only his struggles to control the emotion of our team but I never believed he wasn't the right man for the job.
If you'll look at my post count you can see that I've been quite active on Tnet for ~10 years. A look into the history of my post will tell you I've always supported Dabo, even at times excusing his youth and what appeared to be his lack of experience.
Was I completely confident that Dabo was the man? Probably not but I've always been one to recognize passion and how much determination that can bring to a man's work ethic.
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Orange Blooded [3812]
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Didn’t understand it and still don’t
Aug 30, 2018, 12:08 AM
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Average ACC program, middle of the road success over the last five or so years, he’s not very good with the media, lacks energy, hasn’t upgraded the facilities, doesn’t pay his assistant coaches very well, etc. It’s been a head scratcher for sure.
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Hall of Famer [24507]
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I'll play....
Aug 30, 2018, 12:52 AM
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I knew who he(CDS) was.. And when Tommy "resigned" I was like "we need a fresh(er) voice with new ideas because, while we had some good teams we just couldn't 'kick down the door' and that said fresh(er) voice was needed and warranted.
I also, by hearing about him in the local papers, loved the way he coached the WR position... Holding ALL his receivers accountable.
One of the main reasons why it couldn't hurt if he became the next HC @ Clemson...
10 years later, 100+ wins later, 4 ACC Championship's, 3 straight CFP Appearances, 2 Orange bowl victories, a Fiesta bowl victory, and National Championship later...
I'm glad he's OUR Coach!!!!!!!!
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Team Captain [469]
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Re: The Dabo hire..
Aug 30, 2018, 1:13 AM
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I thought the Dabo hire was cheap way for our administration to proceed forward. I believed at the time that our admin was satisfied with mediocre, and thought tommy was too expensive for the 7-9 wins he was giving us each year. I didn’t think any coach would be successful unless our admin could give them what they needed. Was very ambivalent, because i didn’t think the coach was the entire issue.
I wasn’t particularly exuberant about the hire, I figured we would probably have a cheaper way of getting to 7-5 to 9-4 most years.”, and I thought that’s what our admin was looking for.
I didn’t truly believe they thought they knew there was a championship coach already on staff.
FTR, I thought Terry Don, and Coach Bowden were both good for the program. They both got undue blame for our poor condition at the time, and both are just now getting recognition for the changes that were made to help get us become successful. 20 years of sandbagging by the University and the AD would’ve hampered anybody. I still don’t think Knute Rockne could’ve been consistently successful at clemson in the 1990s - early 2000s.
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Orange Blooded [3044]
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Re: The Dabo hire..
Aug 30, 2018, 2:09 AM
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I think there are similarities to the way Danny Ford and Dabo were hired. They were both the players' coach who jumped over others when given the job.
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CU Guru [1619]
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Re: The Dabo hire..
Aug 30, 2018, 4:32 AM
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Honestly, didn't know much about him and what was on paper certainly didn't make sense. But what I remember most was the reporting of his relationship with the players and how he recruited.
Face it. Dabo believed in himself, had a vision and fought hard to sale that vision. He sold it to TDP, Chad Morris, Brent Venables, countless recruits, Alumni, Board of Trustees and Clemson Nation.
Without some buy in, he'd have been "just another coach." Thank God he had that vision and people bought "All In."
One other thing, is when he fired Kevin Steele. I think that elevated him to make a statement that he had the guts to make a decision.
Sometimes you just can't believe what you see on paper...... 
Go TIGERS! Is it Saturday yet?
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Orange Blooded [2916]
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2008-2010 were dark times around here...
Aug 30, 2018, 7:55 AM
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I wanted Dabo to get the job. Gary Patterson is who Tigernet wanted but I don't think he would've left what he was building at TCU to come rebuild Clemson. Other names thrown around were Troy Calhoun and Bud Foster. I didn't feel that those would fare any better so why not give Dabo his chance.
I'd say around 25% of active posters here were for Dabo at that time. The majority of posters hated him. After a loss during his interim year someone would post "Can we hire a real coach now?" and it would get tons of points. I was a member of Tiger Illustrated at the time and their message board was full of hate and vitriol for Dabo. I was so disgusted by it that I cancelled my membership.
I'll say though that I seriously starting doubting Dabo 2 weeks into the 2011 season. We were coming off a 6-7 year, trailing Troy at halftime in the opener then struggling with Wofford in week 2. Things were looking bleak but beating Auburn, FSU and VT all in a row was a huge step for Dabo and got this thing going. Imagine if we hadn't won those. I think he might've been fired mid-season.
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