Dabo Swinney, Danny Ford reflect on memories of former Tigers assistant Bill Oliver

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Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney and former Tigers head coach Danny Ford reflected on memories of former Clemson assistant Bill Oliver at his funeral this week. Oliver died at age 85 on April 14.

From Clemson's writeup on Oliver: Oliver’s 33 years in coaching included four seasons at Clemson from 1986-89. Clemson compiled a 38-8-2 record in his four seasons with the Tigers, including a 22-5-1 mark in ACC play and outright ACC championships in 1986, 1987 and 1988.

Oliver coached Clemson’s defensive backs for all four seasons and added defensive coordinator responsibilities in 1989. Clemson led the ACC in both scoring defense and total defense in three of his four seasons with the Tigers, posting the conference’s top figures in both categories in 1986, 1987 and 1989. In his final two games at Clemson, the Tigers surrendered only 155 yards in a 45-0 shutout of South Carolina and then stifled Heisman runner-up Major Harris and West Virginia in a 27-7 Gator Bowl victory.

A native of Epes, Ala., Oliver played defensive back at Alabama and later served multiple stints as an assistant coach for the Crimson Tide. He served as Alabama’s defensive backs coach on its 1992 national championship team, a squad for which current Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney played wide receiver. The two would then coach together amid Swinney’s time as a graduate assistant at Alabama from 1993-95.

Bama247 caught up with Swinney and Ford recently on Oliver, at a funeral that had more Clemson-Alabama connections in attendance with Woody McCorvey, Mickey Conn, Danny Pearman, Chris Rumph, Lorenzo Ward and Andrew Zow.

"He's truly without a doubt one of the best football coaches I've ever known," Swinney said. "A lot of great memories and a lot of great stories.

"I'm thankful that I had the opportunity to do some life with him."

"He truly was one of the ones who helped mentor me when I was young. He would encourage me, but also would give me a kick me in the butt when I need that, too," Swinney also said.

Ford said he learned along the way the impact that Oliver could have.

"When he was head of our defense he could convince all of the players he was the best secondary coach in the country, and that's half the battle. They believed him, that he knew everything about football, and especially the secondary," Ford said. "He was very smart. I owe Bill Oliver a lot."

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