Bleacher Report - Articles by ncclmsntgr

Clemson Football: Spring Report

ncclmsntgr — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 22:44:18 -0400

After yet another season of unfulfilled expectations in Tigertown, one which saw the departure of Tommy Bowden. First year Head Coach Dabo Swinney looks to achieve the consistent results his predecessor could not.

Clemson got a boost in the offseason as all-everything back CJ Spiller decided to return for his senior season, a shot in the arm for Swinney and rookie Offensive Coordinator Billy Napier.

However, there are important positions that need to be filled and Coach Swinney and his staff are hard at work. The talent is there, but that is nothing new at Clemson.

First and foremost, the quarterback position is up for grabs. While some fans were disappointed with Cullen Harper last year, starlet redshirt sophomore Willy Korn has yet to impress in his limited opportunities.

He will battle with redshirt freshman Kyle Parker, who boasts a strong arm, smarts, and great mobility. His duties as a Clemson baseball star may cost him the starting job for the opener, but this is going to be a battle throughout 2009.

Elsewhere on offense, the big question is wide receiver. Jacoby Ford returns and will be the go-to man, however, the departures of Aaron Kelly and Tyler Grisham leave big holes. Look for sophomore Marquan Jones to be heavily involved, although he is much like Jabocy Ford in size and speed.

The Tigers will be looking for junior Xavier Dye to step up as the tall, possession receiver. He has failed to live up to his significant talent level so far, however.

The other two receivers to keep an eye on are Brandon Clear and Brandon Ford, both over 6'4", and in their second year with Clemson. Replacing Aaron Kelly will be a huge key for Swinney's Tigers.

Additionally, while Spiller will be the center of the Clemson attack, the Tigers will rely on the development of young starlets Jamie Harper and Andre Ellington to provide important yards for the offense.

Harper, the highly touted sophomore, has lost 20 pounds in two months, and looks to be the bruiser with great speed to replace James Davis. Ellington is young, elusive, and skillful, hoping to follow in Spiller's footsteps.

It is critical for these two talented backs to progress, as Spiller will be asked to split out at receiver to help alleviate the questions at that position.

On defense, the only question in terms of position battles is at safety, where the loss of Michael Hamlin and Chris Clemons will loom large. Senior Sadat Chambers and the highly touted sophomore Spencer Adams look to fill the void.

However, new Defensive Coordinator Kevin Steele will look to move DeAndre McDaniel from linebacker back to his natural position of safety. Expect McDaniel to start opening day at strong safety, with Adams and Chambers fighting for the free safety position.

The rest of the names on defense will remain largely the same, with the scheme under Steele being the bigger question. Although the Tigers lost tackles Rashaad Jackson and Dorell Scott to graduation, youngsters Jarvis Jenkins and Brandon Thompson got significant playing time last year, and appear more than capable of filling those holes.

Those are the big questions in terms of positions as Clemson exits spring practice and looks toward summer workouts. As we have seen with the Tigers over the last several years, however, talent is not the concern. The real burden is on Swinney to get the results.

Clemson Finding A Fit for Head Coach in Troy Calhoun?

ncclmsntgr — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:23:55 -0500

As the regular season draws to a close, it seems the current head coaches that are off limits for interviews during the regular season are now surfacing for open positions across the country.

Case in point: Troy Calhoun is emerging as a candidate for the Clemson post according to TigerIllustrated.com.

At first blush, most would wonder about an Air Force Academy graduate and current head coach being a fit for Clemson—until you check his resume and do some more digging.

Granted, only coordinators have been reported to be interviewed at this point. But Coach Calhoun's resume dwarfs any of those known to have interviewed for the Clemson job.

He has experience in the region as offensive coordinator with Wake Forest and has both assistant and coordinator experience in the NFL. Subsequently, he oversaw a two-year reclamation project with his alma mater that was withering quickly under Fisher Deberry: a project that has yielded him a Coach of the Year Award, a 9-4 record in 2007, and his current 8-3 record.

He has done more with less everywhere he has been.

That includes Ohio, Wake Forest, the Houston Texans, and now Air Force. It begs the question, what could this man do with good (if not great) talent?

Keep in mind, Tommy Bowden's two best recruiting classes were his last two—not the James Davis or CJ Spiller classes.

But does two years with Wake Forest create a tie in terms of recruiting?

As also reported by TigerIllustrated.com, nearly all of his current assistants at Air Force have ties to the Southeast. Two graduated and coached at Furman, two are from South Carolina, one is a Charlotte native, and one is from Atlanta.

Billy Napier is currently on the Clemson staff and, while young, he has built a reputation as one of the best young recruiters in the country.

Clay Hendrix, who is the current offensive line coach under Calhoun, coached for 19 years at Furman, during which time he recruited Napier (TigerIllustrated).

It is conjecture at this point, as all of the coaching vacancies are. But if Calhoun has any interest in seeking another opportunity, is there a better fit for either party?

It doesn't seem so.

The Clemson Job: What We Know and What We Don't

ncclmsntgr — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 13:08:02 -0500

So you were wondering what Clemson Athletic Director Terry Don Phillips has been doing with his time recently? Obviously he has been making his list and checking it twice.

It is safe to assume that the "list" was decided upon last week when he reportedly interviewed former Oakland Raiders Head Coach and USC Offensive Coordinator Lane Kiffin for the Tigers' head coaching position.

Kiffin, who is currently unemployed thanks to the apparent commitment to mediocrity of Al Davis, was no doubt going to get an interview given his experience at Southern California. He was the offensive coordinator at USC before leaving for the NFL and was widely regarded as a fantastic recruiter.

Now, reports (supported with photos) surfaced late Tuesday supporting the notion that AD Phillips has interviewed current Oklahoma Defensive Coordinator and Associate Head Coach Brent Venables.

Venables has been with Bob Stoops for 10 years and is known inside and outside the Sooners' program as an aggressive coach who is an energetic, great recruiter with a keen eye for talent—talent that apparently loves to play for him.

Clemson interim Head Coach Dabo Swinney will also be considered by Phillips for the post. Swinney is also a young, energetic coach who is obviously going to be a great offensive coordinator and potentially head coach, whether at Clemson or not.

The odds for Swinney, however, are long given the mistake-filled loss to Florida State last weekend and upcoming tests versus Virginia and South Carolina. Additionally, Swinney does not have the experience in a leadership role (such as coordinator) with a highly successful program like, say, Will Muschamp.

Which brings us to Mr. Muschamp. The Texas Defensive Coordinator has been reportedly at or near the top of Clemson's list since the day Tommy Bowden stepped down. There is great reason for the banter too.

Muschamp is a Nick Saban disciple, serving as defensive coordinator with LSU for four years, including the national championship season of 2003. He went with Saban to the Miami Dolphins before taking the defensive coordinator position under Tommy Tuberville at Auburn. This is his first year with the Longhorns.

He is all of the above...aggressive, young, intense, great recruiter. He has the advantage over Swinney because of experience. He also would have an advantage over Kiffin and Venables given his ties to the Clemson area. He is from Rome, GA, graduated from the University of Georgia, and has recruited the Southeast while at LSU and Auburn.

Texas has an open date next week, so expect AD Phillips to make a trip to the state of Texas.

It is reported by Rivals.com that Bud Foster will interview for the Clemson position tomorrow. He is currently the Virginia Tech Defensive Coordinator and has expressed interest in the job.

Those are the candidates we know of right now. We also know of one other fact, and it is probably the most critical piece of this entire puzzle. Terry Don Phillips knows what he is doing and has the reputation, contacts, and track record to prove it.

Phillips' last two major head coaching hires while athletic director were Les Miles while at Oklahoma State for football and Oliver Purnell at Clemson for basketball. He also insisted that Miles look seriously at a young offensive coordinator named Mike Gundy when Miles was hired.

Phillips is a graduate of Arkansas, where he developed a friendship with Jimmy Johnson and also Jerry Jones. His contacts in the Big 12 conference after his time at Oklahoma State are extensive.

That is what we know.

Who else is on that "list"? That is another question. Would Mike Leach be considered? Gary Patterson? There is talk of Tommy Tuberville as a good fit, or perhaps Phil Fulmer wanting to get right back into coaching. Given AD Phillips' relationship with Jimmy Johnson, is there an NFL assistant out there who is now on the list that nobody has heard of?

I believe the latter of those options is the most viable at this point. Obviously there will not be leaked interviews with current head coaches during the season, but I believe the pattern we have seen so far is telling.

Terry Don Phillips has an eye for identifying great coaching talent. Clemson is currently in the market for a young, energetic, aggressive coach that has a reputation as a stellar recruiter and a pedigree with successful programs and head coaches. If you happen to have ties to the area like Will Muschamp, even better.