Rapid Fire: Focus on Marshall and Clemson

“Rapid Fire” at Football Rumor Mill focuses on multiple coaches around the country who are in serious jeopardy. The latest edition centers on Marshall and Clemson…

Marshall

Saturday, I saw Snyder on a rerun local TV clip talking about the Edwards Stadium “White Out” for Cincinnati’s visit that turned ugly. Now, it’s a “Green Out” against the Cougars? Snyder needs to worry that it isn’t a Wipe Out - because if it is, he may be on the way to a Wash Out. He needs to forget about what goes on in the seats. Win, and you sell tickets. Marshall (3-4, 2-1) has more than given back what it gained with its 2-0 Conference USA divisional start, but what roils the Herdheads who are increasingly hounding Snyder is this: The program just hasn’t improved - or at least shown it - for whatever reason. And the buck stops with the head coach, whether he’s named Stagg, Saban, Schwartzalder or Snyder… If the Herd doesn’t get at least two more to finish 5-7, Snyder might be a former coach at his alma mater. My preseason crystal ball had MU at 6-6, but I always thought that Snyder could hang on at 5-7 because it would be an improvement from last season’s 3-9 finish. Now, the noise is so loud, I’m not sure. The rumors are ugly … Athletic Director Bob Marcum will be booted if he doesn’t can Snyder, 43. High rollers will roll over President Steve Kopp to get a new coach. Jim Donnan is waiting in the wings to return. – Daily Mail

Clemson

By the end of this month, Clemson fans curious about their program’s direction should spout those same words, with a twist: “Are you better off than you were four games ago?” Your answer might decide Dabo Swinney’s future. After a much-hyped debut and a week off, the Tigers’ popular interim coach embarks on a four-game stretch which will largely determine whether he will be packing his bags or getting comfortable in Tommy Bowden’s old office come Dec. 1. – Independent Mail

The Name Game: Swinney Make Stick at Clemson

“The Name Game” at Football Rumor Mill focuses on active coaching searches around the country. The latest edition centers on the Clemson Tigers…

As signs go, Phillips’ little exercise was the strongest indication yet that Swinney — Clemson’s interim head coach — will be given every opportunity to win the job permanently. During a 30-minute meeting with state reporters Tuesday, Phillips, Clemson’s athletic director and Swinney’s boss, made it clear that he will conduct — and in fact has already begun — a search for Tommy Bowden’s replacement. At the same time, he made it clear Swinney isn’t just keeping the seat warm for the next coach. “Dabo will not change in a number of weeks from now,” Phillips said. “He’s still going to be a very good, bright young coach after the season, as he is now. The only thing that will change is the win-loss thing. “I believe Dabo will be a good head football coach. Somewhere. Maybe here. Maybe somewhere else. I don’t know.” – Independent Mail

When athletics director Terry Don Phillips installed Dabo Swinney as interim coach last week, he told the coaching staff that choosing the next Clemson coach would be “easy” if things played out as expected. Even though the Tigers lost to Georgia Tech 21-17 in Swinney’s debut, Phillips sounded Tuesday as if the outcome supported that statement. Through an intermediary, Clemson has begun to gauge interest in the job. However, candidates for the Clemson job are not afforded Swinney’s six-game audition with the Tigers. Phillips praised the changes Swinney has made to unite a team and its fans. – The State

Dabo Swinney hasn’t won a game as Clemson’s interim football coach, but he’s already gone a long way toward winning over his boss. Athletic director Terry Don Phillips didn’t come out Tuesday and say Swinney has an excellent shot at securing the position permanently, but he created that impression with profuse praise of Swinney’s first week on the job. “I think Dabo has very special intangibles — leadership intangibles,” Phillips told reporters. “The things he did last week, he did intuitively, he did instinctively, and he did because that’s the foundation of where he’s coming from.” Five days after he promoted Swinney to head coach in the wake of Tommy Bowden’s forced resignation, Phillips saw an inspired team against Georgia Tech. The Tigers overcame a 14-3 halftime deficit and led 17-14 going into the fourth quarter before the Yellow Jackets drove for the go-ahead touchdown and won, 21-17. Phillips was profoundly impressed by how the 38-year-old Swinney drummed up excitement from not only his players, but fans as well. – Post & Courier

Clemson has lost several verbal commitments since Tommy Bowden’s departure, so hiring a coach quickly after the regular season’s conclusion is crucial to rebuilding and holding together the 2009 signing class. Phillips said he hopes to “work with a sense of urgency” and hire a coach “as quick after the regular season as we can possibly do it, and perhaps even before, depending on who’s involved and who’s not involved.” He confirmed that Clemson has retained “an intermediary” who has already begun vetting potential outside replacements, helping Phillips “to gain a broad perspective of the field that’s out there, gain information about contractual issues and expectations and those kinds of things.” – Independent Mail

Clemson, Auburn in State of Flux

Was there anything inherently wrong with athletic director Terry Don Phillips standing among the players and coaches during Clemson’s 21-17 loss to Georgia Tech in Death Valley on Saturday, just five days after the dismissal of longtime head coach Tommy Bowden? According to the fans and Phillips himself, no. “I have always come to the sidelines at some point during a game
 my entire career as an athletic director,” he said after the game. “(Interim) Coach (Dabo) Swinney came to the end of the team box where I was
 standing, I did comment about the holding against a Clemson offensive 
lineman on the fourth-and-12 play at the end of the game. That
 frustration was directed at the call, and not towards anything our coaching 
staff or players had done.” Understandable; however, it was a little too much of a Jerry Jones action. And perception, not reality, can hurt Clemson come December, although the reality appears to be nothing but positive. “The biggest thing I wanted to accomplish was unity, embracing some things, creating some pride in doing the little things right,” Swinney said. But what are head coaching prospects thinking? Particularly those who may already be top head coaches looking for a change of scenery? Do they see nothing wrong with their potential boss stalking the sidelines? Or would this situation make them uncomfortable and turn them away from considering Clemson as their new home? Your best head coaches, in all likelihood, want to be the Man on the sidelines. They command total control on game day, and having your boss alongside takes away from that. Who wants to work for a boss who’s right there all the time? Clemson is at a crossroads in its program. If it hires the right guy, Clemson will start collecting ACC titles. If it hires down (which it’s done since 1990), the program will be stuck in mediocrity for a while longer. For now, Phillips, despite his good intentions, should leave the sideline, let the coach do his job and focus on finding a long-term Bowden replacement. – RealFootball365.com

Yes, Auburn (4-3, 2-3 in the Southeastern Conference) is a program in flux. A team picked to win the SEC’s Western Division now has become a haven of uncertainty. Each day brings with it a new speculative tangent about coach Tommy Tuberville’s job status, closed-door arguments among the staff or imminent problems with the team’s recruiting effort. So how did the Tigers get here? The fall of former offensive coordinator Tony Franklin mimicked Auburn’s remarkable fall from prominence. Hired last winter from Troy University to install an aggressive attack, Franklin needed only two weeks to design a scheme good enough to win the 2007 Chick-fil-A Bowl. Coach Tommy Tuberville figured 15 spring practices and a summer of unsupervised-yet-structured workouts would enhance a system that already was a winner. He was wrong. – Montgomery Advertiser

Bowden to A&M?: Heat Rising In Aggieland

It appears certain that Texas A&M will lose five games at Kyle Field this season for the first time… ever, and it has the boosters talking. And who is this small booster block discussing? Former Clemson Tigers head coach Tommy Bowden. Despite his mid-season resignation at Clemson, there’s no disputing Bowden’s record as head coach at Tulane and Clemson. Bowden’s Green Wave went 12-0 and achieved a top-10 final ranking in both polls in 1998, before being hired as head coach at Clemson. With the exception of a self-imposed bowl-game ban in 2004, Bowden’s teams went to bowl games in every season during his tenure - eight times in nine years. Bowden rebuilt Clemson into a consistent top-twenty team year-in and year-out, and he demonstrated a great ability to rally the booster base for fundraising. Bowden’s staff was filled with strong recruiters and he consistently out-recruited SEC and ACC teams in the skill positions. Bowden set Clemson records for the highest scoring season, second highest scoring season, third highest scoring season and fourth highest scoring season in team history. And - perhaps most importantly - Bowden showed that he could beat Clemson’s biggest rivals, going 7-1 against South Carolina and winning three straight against FSU. At age 54, Bowden seems to have the passion and window of opportunity to lead a team for the next ten plus years. He almost left Clemson last season to take the position at Arkansas but opted to accept a contract extension that kept him at CU. Having built a winner at the state’s smaller public university with a strong military tradition, he understands the unique character that schools like Clemson and Texas A&M have to offer recruits. – FanBlogs.com

Mike Sherman and his Texas A&M staff aren’t doing the worst coaching job in college football. They can’t be. With Michigan’s Rich Rodriguez and Co. creating the blue in Big Blue, Sherman’s crew isn’t even doing the worst job among the big boys. (Let’s not waste energy arguing whether A&M is one of the big boys.) Of course, a number of not so big boys are better than A&M right now. After Saturday’s 43-25 loss to Texas Tech, Jeff Sagarin’s computer has A&M rated 110th in the country. According to Sagarin’s calculations, the Aggies have performed better than only two BCS-conference schools — No. 117 Washington and No. 120 Syracuse — and been outperformed by a host of lower-level Division I schools and even 12 Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA) squads. To break it down a little further: Not only is A&M ranked below Southern Cal, it is behind Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo. – Houston Chronicle

The Name Game: Muschamp, Johnson Gaining Traction at Clemson

“The Name Game” at Football Rumor Mill focuses on active coaching searches around the country. The latest edition centers on the Clemson Tigers…

Vanderbilt Coach Bobby Johnson is being rumored as a potential candidate for the Clemson opening, while UT Coach Phillip Fulmer is on the proverbial hot seat. – Tennessean

Roughly 10 months after he was hired as one of the highest paid assistant coaches in the country, Texas’ Will Muschamp could once again be on the move to a team with a different shade of orange. – CUTigers.com

Bowden’s departure is only the first in what could be another turbulent coaching offseason. Keep an eye on what happens with Phil Fulmer at Tennessee in the next few weeks. There are already watches going on at Syracuse and Washington. And who knows what will happen at Penn State, if the Nittany Lions roar through the season undefeated and Joe Paterno decides at the age of 81 it would be a nice way to leave center stage. And then there will be the inevitable questions about when is it time for Bobby Bowden to step aside and allow coach-in-waiting Jimbo Fisher to move into the top slot. At Clemson, the search will move forward. Names such as Vanderbilt’s Bobby Johnson, a Clemson alum and former defensive coordinator for the Tigers, Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe, and Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp have been mentioned. – Boston Globe

The Name Game: Clemson Looking at Vandy’s Johnson

“The Name Game” at Football Rumor Mill focuses on active coaching searches around the country. The latest edition centers on the Clemson Tigers…

While Tennessee’s Phil Fulmer and Auburn’s Tommy Tuberville face questions about their job status, it was only a matter of time before Vanderbilt’s Bobby Johnson started getting questions, too — about job offers. Johnson’s alma mater, Clemson, parted ways with Tommy Bowden after a disappointing 3-3 start, and the name of the Vanderbilt coach, who has the Commodores sitting pretty at 5-1, is being bandied about as a possible candidate for the job. Johnson, who played defensive back at Clemson from 1970-72, said Wednesday that he has had no contact with the Tigers. “We’re trying to get ready to play Georgia and that’s all I’ve tried to concentrate on,” he said, adding that he has not addressed the issue with his team. “There’s nothing to ignore. Nobody’s contacted me, I’ve not contacted anybody else and as far as I’m concerned, we’re just moving along in our schedule.” Other possible candidates for the Tigers’ vacancy include former Oakland Raiders coach Lane Kiffin, Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, Tulsa head coach Todd Graham, East Carolina head coach Skip Holtz and Clemson’s current interim head coach, Dabo Swinney (a former Alabama player and coach). – Mobile Press-Register

Bobby Johnson has been prominently included in a media list of potential candidates to replace Tommy Bowden at Clemson. The connection is an obvious one: Johnson played at Clemson, served as defensive coordinator with the Tigers for a season, is a Columbia, S.C. native and had great success as head coach at Football Championship Subdivision Furman in Greenville, S.C. Johnson played down the home-state ties on Wednesday. “I really don’t have a whole bunch of them,” Johnson said of his feelings on the Clemson job. “We’re trying to get ready to play Georgia. That’s all I’ve tried to concentrate one. We’ve got enough to do here without having to worry about that.” Johnson has enough going on this week without eyeing a new job. The Commodores play at Georgia in a showdown of SEC East-leading teams. – Huntsville Times

Scoop: New Names Emerge at Clemson

Three new names have emerged in Clemson’s new coaching search. With Vandy Coach Bobby Johnson, Wake Forest Coach Jim Grobe, Texas DC Will Muschamp, Auburn Coach Tommy Tuberville and Interim Coach Dabo Swinney already in the mix, the hunt of off to a great start. Here are three more names that are sure to draw an interest from the Tigers…

Mike Gundy, Head Coach at Oklahoma State: Clemson AD Terry Don Phillips is quite fond of Gundy. Phillips brought the young coach back to Oklahoma State as an assistant a few years back. Gundy is sure to get a call, though he is unlikely interested in leaving his alma mater.

Lane Kiffin, Former Head Coach of Oakland Raiders: Phillips is reported close friends with Kiffin’s father Monte. The two have ties from their time at Arkansas. Kiffin could be a real player in this race.

Rich Rodriguez, Head Coach at Michigan: Richie Rod could be the ultimate wild card. He has told associates he is not happy with the talent level he inherited at Michigan. The natives are already growing restless with the Wolverines’ latest loss to… Toledo. It seems both Rod and Michigan may have buyers remorse. Clemson loves Rich Rodriguez from his days as Tommy Bowden’s OC. Rodriguez and his wife are quite fond of Clemson. Could he bolt Michigan after just one season? It’s unlikely, but not out of the realm of possibilities.

UPDATED Scoop: Grobe, Tub, Muschamp, Johnson Early Names at Clemson

Now that Clemson has fired Coach Tommy Bowden, speculation turns to who may replace him. Sources tell Football Rumor Mill that Athletic Director Terry Don Phillips’ number one target will likely be Wake Forest Head Coach Jim Grobe.

Some think interim Coach Dabo Swinney might have an outside shot at the job, although that will likely depend on how the Tigers finish the season.

Three other names that will likely garner significant interest are Vanderbilt Coach and South Carolina native Bobby Johnson, Texas DC Will Muschamp and soon-to-be-former Auburn Coach Tommy Tuberville. Tub could be the wild card in the mix. Assuming he can amicably extricate himself from the Auburn situation, Tuberville could be the big name splash hire Clemson wants.

Clemson Fires Bowden

Football Rumor Mill has confirmed that Clemson has fired Coach Tommy Bowden. WR Coach Dabo Swinney will take over as interim head coach.

More to come…

The Firing Line: Could Kiffin Replace Bowden?

“The Firing Line” at Football Rumor Mill focuses on coaches around the country who are in serious jeopardy. The latest edition centers on Clemson Coach Tommy Bowden…

As for Bowden’s future, I think it’ll be tough for him to save his job again this year. Even if he runs the table now, I don’t know if that’d be enough. 9-3 in the ACC? Yawn. Trouble is, Bowden’s deal reportedly would cost them about $4 million to get him out of there. In fairness, the guy does have a winning percentage of over 64 percent, but I feel like there just isn’t a lot of momentum pushing that program forward and elevating it beyond 7-5 and 8-4 type of seasons, which are solid, but should Clemson be aspiring to better? It seems to be time for a change… I definitely think Clemson is a very good coaching job. It has great tradition, good facilities and a big fan base. Plus that area produces a lot of talent. It feels like an SEC school in the ACC in terms of profile. Big-time football school. I’d probably go after Lane Kiffin first. He is an energetic offensive mind who can really recruit. (He got Mike Williams out of Tampa, among others.) He could also put together an incredible staff. – ESPN

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