RSS
Home › News › Local News
Clemson fans relieved Bowden gone, excited about Swinney’s shot
Photo by Sefton Ipock
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney speaks with freshman linebacker Stanley Hunter after team practice Thursday. Swinney, who took over coaching duties on Monday when Tommy Bowden resigned, will try to earn a win against Georgia Tech today.
Photo by Sefton Ipock
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney leaves Clemson's practice fields after team practice Thursday. Swinney, who took over coaching duties on Monday when Tommy Bowden resigned, will try to earn a win against Georgia Tech today.
STORY TOOLS
Share and Enjoy
More Local News
- Clemson fruit expert presents new peach varieties for the Southeast
- Anderson University to offer new master's degree program
- Change of venue motion filed for attempted escape, assault on deputy trial in Anderson
Rate this Article
CLEMSON UNIVERSITY — Sometimes, college football fans and their coach are like an old married couple who need a divorce for their greater good.
Both sides are tired of the other, but both are afraid to make the first move.
This week, Tommy Bowden blinked.
After nine-plus years as Clemson University head football coach without an Atlantic Coast Conference championship and none on the immediate horizon, Bowden blinked, brokering a deal with Clemson administrators to step down immediately Monday afternoon.
The feeling among many Clemson fans? Relief.
Fans the Independent-Mail spoke with this week hailed Bowden as a good coach and a good man, but were thankful he decided to step aside.
“Change is needed,” said Jimmy Black, a supervisor at Oconee Nuclear Station in nearby Oconee County and a former 20-year Clemson season ticket holder. “The change has been needed for two years. The reason I think the change has been needed is because Tommy lost the respect of his players. Tommy Bowden is a fine man, Tommy Bowden was a wonderful coach, Tommy Bowden was good for Clemson. I’ve been a Clemson fan since 1965.
“As a supervisor at Oconee Nuclear Station, if you lose the respect of your men, the only way to survive is to move to another crew, another team,” Black said. “Therefore, it was time for Tommy to move to another team.”
Danny Rogers, a 1972 Clemson graduate whose daughter also graduated from Clemson, said Bowden simply didn’t win enough big games. Each of the last three seasons saw Clemson fall one win short of the ACC Atlantic Division title and corresponding trip to the ACC title game.
“I’m happy, ecstatic,” Rogers said. “It’s a good thing for Clemson, the community, upstate South Carolina and all its businesses, because we’ve got some excitement going on that we haven’t had for a long time with Tommy Bowden as our head coach.
“His performance in big games, bowl games, it left us humiliated,” Rogers said. “It seemed like guys weren’t prepared or motivated. If we had national TV coverage, we’d play sloppy games, not be motivated, and he’d always blame someone else.”
Rogers said the Upstate and Clemson community “didn’t have any connection with Bowden,” and interim coach Dabo Swinney is working quickly to change that.
Swinney sent an e-mail to the Clemson student body encouraging them and other Clemson fans to have an “orange-out” for today’s game. Clemson will wear all-orange uniforms and Swinney hopes the entire stadium will wear orange as well.
In addition, he will hold the program’s first-ever “Tiger Walk” at 9:45 a.m. today. Team buses will pull up on Perimeter Road behind Memorial Stadium, and Clemson players and coaches — dressed in suits and ties — will greet fans as they walk into the stadium via the WestZone structure.
“He’s opening the program up to the university, getting enthusiasm and interest built up in the program,” Rogers said. “The program has created a lot of money but (fans) are all alienated from it. We didn’t get to participate hands-on. (Swinney) is bringing it down for people to be involved and enjoy the program. It’s a spirit we’ve been lacking.”
Swinney is only an interim coach, but the next six games will be seen as his audition for the full-time job. Will Clemson fans support him?
Sure, if he can win.
“I think he’s got to prove himself,” Rogers said. “I don’t think this is the time to just give him the job, but give him a darn good chance, put him under the screws the last six games. It’s not just wins and losses. If he has the program going in the right direction, excitement on the field as opposed to the same-old, same-old, give him a chance to be head coach.”
Comments
There are 11 responses to this article.
Comments are meant to offer our readers a forum for thoughtful, robust debate about local issues.
Comments are moderated, but you may find the content of the conversations offensive, objectionable or factually disputable.
IndependentMail.com does not necessarily condone the comments here, nor does it review every post or respond to every suggestion for a comment to be removed.
Before you post, consider this:
Please read our official user-contributions policy.
I'm a die hard Dawg fan, however I'm amazed at the glee shown over Bowden leaving Clemson. I only hope whoever steps in next doesn't make on the field reputation more important than off the field reputation. As bad as I hate to admit it, Clemson players, for the most part, represented Clemson University, and our State with a presence of decency. I only hope win/lose records never become more important than that. Even though I wasn't a fan of the "on the field team" I was proud of the character of the coaches and players. Thank you Mr. Bowden, for that.
Run the ball. set up the wishbone for several plays...show us that you are not going to lose games on purpose.
Start wearing teams down...you've got 4 quarters to plug away at their defense...so plug away...don't look for exploiting their defense...open the defense up by running between the tackles...teams can not stop short yardage gains and stop long throws at same time. Use 4 downs to get 10 yards..
Keep it simple, get tough, get physical...run the ball, run 90% of plays, then hit WR for big yardage. Be sure to start a big fullback.
Orange pants. orange shirts. gonna be a blowout.
Got a standup guy with SEC blood taking the reigns. Im excited to see what Dabo can do. Im not so shallow as to think we're gonna turn this thing around and win the ACC or Natl Championship anytime soon. Im more key on actually living up to the hype thats given to us. Id love nothing more than to see the 80s style Clemson team that I grew up watching and always being an ACC powerhouse...Go get em Dab, I dislike youre a Bama grad but youve gotta huge Tiger fan stuck in T-town itchin for a win
Today is Hump day! Let's get over the hump, Tigers! Solid Orange! All In!
Yabba Dabo Doo!
Well, Who is too blame for this loss, cause Bowden wasn't on the sideline.
in response to 2much4U
Why not blame TDP. He was on the sidelines where he had no business being.
Well I gotta eat my words here. At least for one of Clemson's players anyway. It's the over-rated, running off at the mouth, should have been benched long ago, second rate, so called QB, Mr. Harper. Man, if he could shoot the ball near as good as he shoots his mouth, maybe he would have at least as many TDs as he has interceptions. Maybe Bowden didn't spend enough time explaining to him which team to throw the ball to. Danged ol coach!!!!!!
Hey Mr. Harper, I hope your watching the USC-LSU game. I don't care who wins, but from the looks of Mr. Garcia, you wouldn't be able to carry his gym bag. Glad to see your a Sociology major, you've already learned how to blame others for your shortcomings. Way to be a leader.
in response to ugot2bkiddingme
Let's see now,,,,,Korn goes out with a shoulder injury,,,to be replaced by Harper with a broken shoulder and an injury from last year to the other shoulder,,,,and the play is better in the second half..???
Neither is going to prosper until we get Whats-His-Name's O-Line rebuilt.
Study the game of football.
Rome wasn't built in a day! Have a little patience, folks!
Greg Wallace headlined this story with "Clemson Fans Relieved Bowden Gone, Excited About Swinney's Shot." Well, he left out the word "Two", as in the number of fans he actually quoted. That's akin to the moronic newspaper editorial board political endorsements: A couple, or at most, a few guys no smarter than the average reader print their choice to win and this is heralded as some sort of word from on high. The obvious retort is "Who gives a
s-word?"
Same thing here. Bowden left the place far, far better than when he arrived. I hope the players relate to Dabo and his ways, i.e., Tiger walk,arms clasped march(strange),coats and ties, hyper enthusiasm, etc. Maybe that's what wins. Dunno.
I think they can march and prance before the game all day, but, as 33dtb stated, until they get an offensive line that can control the other line, they probably won't win many games.
(Requires free registration.)