Tigers' OLine Coach to Have Decision Soon |
CLEMSON - Is Ron West staying or is he heading for the mountains? We'll know for sure later this week.
Clemson head coach Tommy Bowden said West's potential candidacy for a coaching job on Rich Rodriguez's new staff at West Virginia University "will come to a head in the next day or two." Reports out of West Virginia have indicated Rodriguez has expressed an interest in hiring West, possibly as his offensive coordinator. Neither West nor Rodriguez returned phone calls Monday evening. "I'd say it will be decided one way or the other within the next 48 hours," Bowden said. - Bowden approves of the Bowl Championship Series matchup which has Oklahoma and Florida State playing for the National Championship in the Orange Bowl, regardless of the perceived slight to Miami. The Hurricanes are ranked No. 2 in both the Associated Press and USA Today/ESPN Coaches polls, while the Seminoles are No. 3. However Florida State is No. 2 in the BCS poll, which determines matchup for the championship game. "I think the present system right now has put together the two best teams for the last three years," he said. "It's as close to perfect we have without a playoff system...Even then if you select 16 teams (for a playoff), what happens if that 17th team beat one of the 16 and has a better record? You're going to have the same problems..." He said the BCS/playoff argument is not a topic on the agenda at any of the coaches conferences he attends. "This time of year when we're asked (by the media) is the only time it's ever discussed," he said. + Bowden reiterated that Clemson is not actively seeking to play in one of several preseason games next year. The interest in such a game, at least from the school's perspective, has been low. "We're not out there searching for one, but we've been contacted about every one of them," he said. + Published reports in one state newspaper said former tight end Pat Cyrgalis plans to return to Clemson next fall. Cyrgalis, the Tigers' starting tight end in 1999, was dismissed from the team during fall practice because he violated team rules concerning academics. "I've only talked to his mother once, and that was two months ago," Bowden said. "He'd have a long, uphill climb academically (to play at Clemson again), plus he'd have to walk on and pay his own way." + Offensive lineman Kyle Young and linebacker Chad Carson each were named to the Academic All-American Team Monday. Clemson is the only Division I school with two players on the team.
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