Looking back... and looking forward... (LONG)
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Posted: Oct 14, 2008 1:30 PM
Looking back 10 years ago, I was leaving the Walker Course with my father when he told me that Clemson had already come to an agreement with Tulane coach Tommy Bowden to be Clemson's next head coach. Tommy couldn't talk to Clemson yet because Tulane's season wasn't over, but via his agent and his father, intetentions were made known and agreements were quietly negotiated. That is how it is done these days in big-time college football.
Do you remember how you felt when you learned that Tommy Bowden was going to be Clemson's coach? I do. At the time, Tommy was THE "IT" guy. THE hottest coaching prospect in the country. He had taken Tulane from CFB purgatory to respect and done it quickly. He had a hot-shot OC and an offense he had designed that put pressure on the other team every play. He was who we wanted and we were all THRILLED to get him! I just KNEW that Clemson was on its way back!!!!
What did Tommy inherit? - A program in shambles. - Facilities that had been allowed to crumble under the previous AD into disrepair. - A 3-8 team with ZERO 300 pounders on it, no speed and an offensive line that averaged 278lbs. - Recruiting competing with lower tier schools and Div 1AA schools for talent. - Players graduating at a rate of 18%. - A reputation as a dirty program. - A fanbase that had decided to stop caring. - An administration with other priorities.
Ten years and nine and a half seasons later... what does Tommy leave us with? - One of the up and coming programs in all of football (again). - World-class facilities that scream commitment from fans, administration and other support. - A reputation as a sterling program that wins while following the rules. - A program that forgot what it was like to have a losing season. - Kids that graduate at record levels. - Teams fear us. Despite the bad losses, no one wants to play Clemson. - Top-tier talent. Kids like Bowers, Spiller, Davis, Hunter, J. Harper, Adams and a dozen others wouldn't have even CONSIDERED Clemson ten years ago.
Both lists are incomplete, but you get the idea.
I will miss Tommy Bowden.
He brought immediate credibility to Clemson when it was sorely needed. His last name alone made us worth talking about again. He took marginal athletes like Mougros, Streeter, Rembert, and dozens of others and made them winners. He made Clemson "matter" again. He beat USC alot and once badly(63-17) and overcame the Goliath that was FSU. He beat a Tennesseee team that looked down their 8th ranked noses at Clemson and embarrassed GT on national TV. Would Gameday even have ever been at Clemson if it wasn't for Tommy Bowden?
He did make us proud lots of times and sometimes he broke Clemson Nation's heart. He lost to Duke and Wake when they were DUKE AND WAKE... lost some big TV games like Bama and some bowls. Lost to BC and Virginia Tech. He lost when our hopes were up and our chips were down. He couldn't make Clemson Champions again.
That said... I will still miss Tommy Bowden. Thanks Coach. Thanks for being one h elluva man, Christian and ambassador for Clemson. Thanks for being so nice to my son when he wanted your autograph and a picture with you after you lost to Va Tech. That 15 seconds meant the world to one little boy. He didn't care that you couldn't beat VT. He cared that you cared about him. Thank you for being you... even when we didn't seem worth it.
Now it is time for a new era to begin.
Will it be the Swinney era for more that 7 weeks, or will it be the Johnson, Muschamp, Crowton or someotherwhatshisname era... we shall see.
All I know is that in my mind, the bar has been set rather high. Clemson isn't the same Clemson that Tommy Bowden inherited. If you are going to follow Tommy Bowden today, you better be ready. You have to graduate kids, be the perfect ambassador for Clemson, beat USC 80%+ of the time and go to bowls. You have to recruit with the big boys and finish our facilities. On top of that - you have to win championships. You have to win bowls.
Many may not realize this, but I believe that time will pass and history will judge Tommy Bowden fairly. Whomever takes this job should know... you are following in the footsteps of a man that will be remembered fondly, and will get a ton of credit for building the program for you if you succeed, and will be blameless if you fail.
There is one thing about standing on the shoulders of giants... the view is fantastic, but the fall is long.
I will miss Tommy Bowden... but I am even more excited to see what Coach Swinney or whomever can do. Tommy Bowden left you one h ell of a program. Good luck and GO TIGERS!!!
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