Clemson names Dabo Swinney new head coach

Tommy Bowden was let go as Clemson head football coach after a 1-4 start this season for, among other things, losing the respect of his players and the support of the Tiger faithful.  In his first shot at a head coaching job, his interim replacement Dabo Swinney took care of both of those problems.  In the process, his team starting winning again and finished 7-5 with a likely bowl bid forthcoming.  On Tuesday, Swinney had the “interim” removed from his title and was introduced as the new Clemson head football coach.

Unlike most interim coaches who are content to play out the string without causing trouble, Swinney took control of the situation immediately.  He reached out to the Tiger fan base, reinstituting traditions such as the pre-game “Tiger Walk” through the parking lot of “Death Valley”.  He also made some personnel moves, firing offensive coordinator Rob Spence and took over playcalling himself.  Most importantly, perhaps, he kept the Tigers’ dominance over Palmetto State rival South Carolina intact with a 31-14 victory over the Gamecocks last Saturday.  The fact that the fans started chanting his name late in the contest definitely didn’t hurt his job prospects.

Tiger Athletic Director Terry Don Phillips said that there wasn’t one factor that led to the decision to hire Swinney on a permanent basis:

"I don't have a 'eureka' moment. He's a young man with special qualities, intangibles you're born with."

He was specifically impressed with how Swinney quickly won over the team and the fans after the Tigers’ miserable start caused more by a dysfunctional locker room environment than anything else:

"They were down and out. A lot of people had written them off”

Swinney, meanwhile, wasn’t surprised at how quickly he was able to get the program headed in the right direction and suggests that Clemson made the right move by giving him the head coaching job on a permanent basis.

"I've never failed at anything in my life. It's not arrogance. I'm confident in my abilities "I don't think it's a gamble at all. I think it's a good investment."

Seeing the writing on the wall, defensive coordinator Vic Koenning resigned on Tuesday shortly after the announcement of Swinney’s hiring was made.  There is apparently some rancor between the two men, as Koenning isn’t even sticking around for a bowl game stating that leaving now would “provide more job options”.  Translated, that mean he wanted to quit before Swinney had a chance to fire him.  Other than that, the Tigers’ new head coach has dismissed additional speculation on staff changes until after Clemson’s presumptive bowl game.