Past Perfection Berates Bowden

Tommy Bowden is an icon’s son. The aforesaid is both advantageous and adverse. Name affords opportunity, prominence, and respect. Unfortunately, name cannot coach. Name cannot recruit. Name cannot win.

On Monday, Clemson fired Coach Tommy Bowden. Assistant Head Coach Dabo Swinney supplanted him. “Terry Don Phillips {Athletic Director] approached me this morning and we agreed that this is the best solution for the direction of the program,” said Bowden.

Quarterback Cullen Harper’s reaction was blunt. “It's what he deserved,” said Harper. “I'd call it karma. I thought it needed to be done. I think anytime a head coach or someone in a leadership position starts to place blame on his coaches and players, it weakens their respect on the team. His past experiences have shown he's done that.”

During his tenure, Bowden logged a 72-45 ledger. Within the Atlantic Coast Conference, he was 43-32. In the postseason, Bowden was 3-5. Versus Florida State and South Carolina, he was 11-7.

“I'm shocked. We are 3-3 because we didn't make enough big offensive plays,” said Running back C.J. Spiller. “I'm shocked by our record, and now I'm shocked that our coach is gone. I enjoyed playing for coach Bowden and I liked him, but in the end he was yelling at us to be leaders and it wasn't working. He did all he could to motivate us, but guys weren't buying into what he was saying. And he said a lot of the same things over and over again.”

In 1981, Clemson garnered the national championship. Their victory was an aberration. Unfortunately, their assertion is validation. Monday’s maneuver illustrates this. Clemson must realize the obvious. They are not elite. They never were.