|
DABO , 2008 , AND THE 2024 SCHEDULE
|
Replies: 10
| visibility 1605
|
Orange Elite [5432]
TigerPulse: 86%
38
|
DABO , 2008 , AND THE 2024 SCHEDULE
9
9
Oct 8, 2024, 2:37 AM
|
|
Of course all Tiger fans are aware that Dabo became the ACC’s winningest coach on Bobby Bowden Field at FSU last week, definitely odd how it worked out that way 16 years later. It is something I doubt anyone would have ever imagined back in 2008 when Dabo became interim coach.
Now a week later , Clemson is getting ready to travel to Winston-Salem. The place that was finally the last nail in the coffin for Tommy Bowden 16 years ago on a cold Thursday night (OCT 9th) in which if the game would have had 20 quarters , I’m not sure if the offense would have made it into double digits. Probably one of the most frustrating offensive performance of the Bowden era. I believe Spence ran 20 bubble screens that night while the defense somehow kept us within a touchdown.
Remember walking out of the stadium that night 99% sure that Bowden would not be the head coach the next morning, I was only a couple days off.
Now only a few days off on the calendar from being exactly 16 years from the day and now a week after passing Bobby Bowden, Dabo is going back to Wake as the winningest coach in ACC history and Tommy Bowden has never coached another game of college football.
Who would have thunk it
|
|
|
|
 |
CU Medallion [20093]
TigerPulse: 100%
52
Posts: 17057
Joined: 2002
|
Not to toot my own horn but I predicited it.(kinda')
5
5
Oct 8, 2024, 6:34 AM
|
|
As you recall there were rumblings heading into the Thursday night game in 2008 that Bowden had lost the team and that the money guys were regretting the extension they had just given Bowden the previous year.
When Wake beat us on Thursday night it was palpable that a change was coming. IIRC Antonio Clay and Brian Lithicum quit the team and others were rumored to be leaving as well. Problem was that there were no real viable mid-year replacement coaches and only one coach was really keeping the team together.
The next evening after the Wake debacle, I went to a High School Football game where Dabo Swinney and Billy Napier were on the sidelines to scout a Wide Reciever(Jheranie Boyd - UNC commitment). I told my buddy who was sitting beside me "See those two there? They will be the next coaches at Clemson and will get us back to the top of the ACC."
As I expected, Dabo was named HC and Napier was the OC and I predicted greatness.
In 2010, as I sat watching a 6-6 team lose to South Florida in the Meineke Bowl I started to have my doubts. That team had Andre Ellington, Deandre Hopkins(Freshman), Dwayne Allen, Chandler Catanzaro, Chad Deihl, Daquan Bowers, Dalton Freeman, Tyler Shatley and many others who had NFL stints(Goodman, Branch, B. Thompson, X. Brewer).
I always believed Dabo was a great Head Coach but apparently missed on my belief that Napier was also a great coach.
|
|
|
|
|
|
All-TigerNet [6091]
TigerPulse: 100%
39
|
Re: DABO , 2008 , AND THE 2024 SCHEDULE
5
5
Oct 8, 2024, 6:43 AM
|
|
I wonder how many schools would of fired Dabo after the 2010 season? Probably the majority of them. How many schools would of hired him to begin with? Very few schools would of made the hire. Clemson will always owe a lot of gratitude to TDP for his great decisions regarding Dabo.
|
|
|
|
|
|
CU Medallion [20093]
TigerPulse: 100%
52
Posts: 17057
Joined: 2002
|
It is shocking, looking back.
3
Oct 8, 2024, 7:07 AM
|
|
We underperformed in almost every game outside of Auburn(where we blew it) and NC State.
At the time Dabo was the first coach since Pell(*corection Ingram) who had lost twice in a row to the Coots(he actually lost 5 in a row).
In a way Swinney became HC at a time when there wasn't a lot of great coaches willing to come here. IIR, the competition for the position was Ralph Freidgen and Bud Foster. Many wanted Gary Peterson or Rich Rodriguez but they weren't interested.
Message was edited by: Tigersense®
|
|
|
|
|
|
Clemson Conqueror [11654]
TigerPulse: 100%
46
|
Didnt Lane Kiffin and Brent Venables interview for the job too?
3
Oct 8, 2024, 7:17 AM
|
|
I recall many wanted Kiffin. I was adamantly opposed to that, as he would’ve done us like he did Tenn. Plus Monte Kiffin, duh!
I don’t recall having an opinion about Venables at the time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Orange Elite [5432]
TigerPulse: 86%
38
|
Re: Didnt Lane Kiffin and Brent Venables interview for the job too?
1
Oct 8, 2024, 7:49 AM
|
|
Fisher Deberry( ties to Danny Ford I believe ) , Tommy Tubberville, Muschchamp, and maybe Jim Grobe were the names I remember. I believe Muschchamp had just been named coach in waiting at Texas.
Tubberville was who I wanted. He was having success at Auburn, always had really physical teams, and wasn’t happy at Auburn.
The rumor was Danny Ford had said he would come back although it was probably just that, a rumor
|
|
|
|
|
|
CU Medallion [20093]
TigerPulse: 100%
52
Posts: 17057
Joined: 2002
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rival Killer [2693]
TigerPulse: 100%
33
|
Maybe Hootie Ingram?
1
Oct 8, 2024, 9:20 AM
[ in reply to It is shocking, looking back. ] |
|
chickens won '69, '70, '71 - I think without looking it up. They did not have back to back wins until '09 and '10 - which really was remarkable given some of our awful teams.
|
|
|
|
|
|
CU Medallion [20093]
TigerPulse: 100%
52
Posts: 17057
Joined: 2002
|
You are correct. I had Pell pop in my head when I meant Ingram.***
1
Oct 8, 2024, 9:37 AM
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Clemson Icon [26014]
TigerPulse: 100%
54
|
Dabo tells the story of his meeting with Terry Don.
5
5
Oct 8, 2024, 7:43 AM
[ in reply to Re: DABO , 2008 , AND THE 2024 SCHEDULE ] |
|
He walked in the meeting thinking he could be fired. Terry Don told him, "Dabo, I believe in you now more than I did the day I hired you." The conversation was something along the lines of, "As long as I'm the AD you will be the coach. If they fire me, you can help me pack. And, then I'll walk down the hall and help you pack."
|
|
|
|
|
|
All-TigerNet [5849]
TigerPulse: 100%
39
|
Re: DABO , 2008 , AND THE 2024 SCHEDULE
2
Oct 8, 2024, 7:52 AM
|
|
I was also at that game and felt afterwards that something big needed to change. No excuse for the offensive showing that night.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Replies: 10
| visibility 1605
|
|
|
|
50
