Wednesday November 12, 2008

Its a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World

It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
What a crazy, eventful 48 hours it has been.

I would have never thought that I would be spending two days playing Columbo but I have recently found out that I could not cut it as a private eye.

After spending most of the last 48 hours on the phone trying to talk to anyone who has any knowledge of the Clemson coaching search, I am now more confused than ever. Every newspaper guy, TV guy, radio guy, website guy, administrator and coach I know to talk to that would have any knowledge on the subject is probably getting tired of talking to me or getting my phone calls.

But I am still sitting here with no more of a clue today than when I started yesterday.

This all started last week actually. Last Friday Clemson’s plane went to Detroit, MI. After investigating I think I know who they talked to but have sworn to not reveal it because the writer who confirmed it is still working on the story and asked that I not say anything on it yet. I apologize but this is a credible writer who has worked hard on the story and I gave him my word. I can tell you that it should come out before the first of next week.

On Monday night I got a call saying Clemson’s plane was heading to Oklahoma City on Tuesday. I had heard the Bob Stoops rumors but logically tried to tell myself that could not have been the case. The same person that told me about the Stoops stuff then claimed he got the story mixed up because Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson and Stoops had the same agent.

Several outlets had begun to report Clemson had interest in Wilson, a Maiden, NC native. I was one of the many that believed the story about Wilson until late last night when Wilson told newspapers in Oklahoma that he has had no contact and that he did not even have an agent.

Oklahoma and Clemson websites report today that Terry Don Phillips had instead met with Sooner’s defensive coordinator Brent Venables. However, earlier in the day Venables said he had not been contacted by Clemson.

Venables was not available after practice. The SID office at Oklahoma said he went home after practice. Venables’ wife gave birth last Friday.

Tulsa’s Todd Graham does not have an open date this week like Oklahoma does and Tulsa is over 100 miles away from Oklahoma City. Norman is only 19 miles away.

I do know Terry Don was upset that the plane was tracked and the media was there to shoot videos and pictures of his arrival. I don’t think that should be a surprise though. If Clemson was ranked number five in the country and some school was sending a plane to Oconee or Anderson then I would expect our media to be at the airport.

Terry Don is also considering flying commercial in the future according to a source. I think he will find out that there is a demand for information and people will follow his every move. I have found out that I am not the best at putting all of this together because I still don’t know.

When talking, e-mailing or texting anyone I think has any information on the search, I usually ask them their opinion of who all is still in the race. However, it is never really clear. For example yesterday I talked to someone who has a great national source. I was told that Tommy Tuberville to Clemson is a very good possibility. I picked up the phone to talk to one of my best sources at Clemson and was told that Tuberville is currently not near the top of the list in his opinion.

There are other examples of this kind of contradicting information from usually top sources. For example, Rich Rodriguez is not a candidate according to many but still is a candidate according to at least one good source. Jim Grobe is not interested according to some sources but is still a candidate according to at least one good source. Last week a rivals.com site for Kansas State reported Gary Patterson will be the next head coach at Kansas State but many others swear he will not take the job. Tennessee sources say Butch Davis will be in Knoxville next season but North Carolina sources guarantee that will not be the case.

So here is what I think I can come up with so far. Dabo Swinney, Will Muschamp, Bud Foster, Brent Venables, Gary Patterson, Tommy Tuberville and a few others are still on the list but I can’t confirm Patterson because I do not have ties to him. In fact, I have been told by sources at Clemson to expect him to be on the list but others insist that he is not.

Swinney was the favorite according to some sources because Terry Don really likes him and wants to hire him. However, both Swinney and Phillips understand that Dabo has to win games in order to get the job.

Foster has already had an open date and I am not sure if he has been contacted yet. I have heard he has but have also been told he has not. I am not sure if he has already interviewed.

My latest information this afternoon says that Terry Don and Venables met for four hours last night in Oklahoma. Maybe he was impressive enough to get in the game.

I am not sure what to make of Patterson and his Clemson or Kansas State candidacy. I just have no contacts there.

Kiffin has expressed some interest and I think Clemson has had interest but Terry Don recently said in an interview that someone from California might not fit as well.

Tuberville is the candidate that has had the most success and it will be very interesting to see if and when his divorce with Auburn is finalized.

I would not be surprised if Muschamp interviews next week during Texas’ open date. My gut tells me that Muschamp is near the top, if not the top candidate at the time. I have been told that he would be interested in the Clemson job and my gut tells me that Muschamp has done the most to prepare for a head coaching job.

Some good sources tell me Tuberville to Clemson and Muschamp to Auburn will happen. Others say it will be hard to pull off and the interest may not be as high on all sides as some perceive.

Two days of phone calls, e-mails and text messages have me more confused than ever. No one knows what Terry Don is thinking including those that are very close to him. Conflicting information makes me wonder who is telling the truth and has my respect for private investigators growing.

I guess we should have learned our lesson last year when Nick Saban told the entire world, “I don’t know how else to say it. I am not going to Alabama. I will not be the head football coach at Alabama.” Less than two weeks later, he was named the head coach of the Crimson Tide.

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