Question: How much did you know coach Stockstill? When he left, Tommy made the call to you.
Swinney: "I knew him from recruiting. When I was at Alabama, I saw him on the road all the time. I had just started going out on the road in 1996. He was one of the first guys I met on the road. I was over in August on the road and bumped into him. I had met him before then because he had come to Alabama to visit. He knew Woody and Pearman. He's a real good guy and we have a lot in common. He's a family man. I'm proud of him and what he's done and accomplished. When he moved on to East Carolina, it created an opportunity for me. I didn't even know he left until coach Bowden called. It was a good situation for him and a good situation for me. I'm sorry he ended up at South Carolina for a year, but other than that he has done a great job. He has done a great job at Middle Tennessee, generating a lot of excitement and getting them to be a competitive team."