Swinney's Success, Bowden's Legacy, One in the Same (Pt. 1)

One of the most under-appreciated aspects of Clemson's recent success is the vision that Tommy Bowden had for the program when he took over nearly twenty years ago.

In 1998, Clemson's facilities and talent were grossly lacking. The Tigers were coming off a 3-8 season in Tommy West's final year and needed a shot in the arm.

The biggest name in the college ranks at the time was Bowden.

Bobby Bowden's Florida State teams were as consistent as any in the history of college football. From 1987 to 2000, the Seminoles finished every season with at least ten wins and in the top 5 of the Associated Press College Football Poll. 

Clemson wanted the Bowden brand. It was an established name. It would bring instant credibility to a rudderless program. 

It wouldn't be the long-tenured Bobby that Clemson desired. Bobby's son, Tommy, was a rising star in college football.

A hungry Clemson fan base could sense the possibilities of having their own Bowden roaming the sidelines.

It also didn't hurt that Bowden's Tulane team finished ranked No. 10 in the AP poll with an 11-0 record in 1998.

Bowden also had an innovative coordinator on staff, Rich Rodriguez, who was transforming the college game on the offensive side of the ball.

The Tigers got their man, and Bowden's impact was felt almost instantly. The excitement around Clemson football returned, and Tiger fans imagined a future where they were a power on par with Bobby's Seminoles.

The Name Helped

Even though Clemson was one of his "dream jobs" upon arrival, Bowden knew some things had to change. After all, he'd seen his father's program up close for years.

First, Clemson had to improve its recruiting. The Bowden name certainly helped. Second, Clemson needed facilities that matched the type of program fans and administration demanded. Bowden wielded his influence and plans for a state of the art addition to Death Valley were hatched.

Clemson and Florida State also capitalized on the Bowden brand as "Bowden Bowl I" was the premiere game in college football on October 23, 1999.

Clemson hosted the top-ranked Seminoles for the first-ever meeting of father and son head coaches in college football history. FSU overcame a 14-3 half-time deficit gaining a 17-14 win giving the elder Bowden his 300th career victory. Bobby went on to win his second national title later that season, further enhancing the Bowden name.

In defeat, Clemson fans felt that their time would come. Surely Tommy could muster up similar consistency to his father.

In just his second season, Bowden had Clemson out of the gates 8-0, but the Tigers stumbled losing three out of their last four games. Hope remained.

Unfortunately, during Clemson's next few years under Bowden, that hope dwindled as the Tigers remained inconsistent. Losses to Virginia, Wake Forest, Duke, and Maryland littered the schedule. Clemson seemed to play to the level of their competition, a frustrating trend.

At the close of 2002 under Bowden, Clemson was 1-3 in bowl games, including an ugly 17-7 loss against Mississippi State in the Peach Bowl, a 41-20 loss to Virginia Tech in the Gator Bowl, and an embarrassing 55-15 loss to Texas Tech in the Tangerine Bowl.

Enter Dabo 

Sometimes, blessings can fall right into your lap.

For Clemson fans, all it took was for two people to be in the right place at the right time.

In 2003, Bowden needed to hire a wide receivers coach and Swinney's name was on his list. 

Bowden was Swinney's position coach at Alabama for one season before moving to Kentucky. The two would eventually go head-to-head as Bowden found his way to Auburn and Swinney wrapped up his playing days and joined the Crimson Tide as a graduate assistant.

After being let go from Alabama when Mike Dubose was fired, Swinney spent two years working in real estate. One day he heard that Coach Bowden was speaking at the First Baptist Church in Tuscaloosa in the shadows of Bryant-Denny Stadium. Swinney and his wife Kathleen decided to attend.

At that time, Bowden was still coaching at Tulane University. 

“Dabo and Kathleen came to the service and stayed around and talked to me afterwards,” Bowden said during an interview with Clemson Sports Talk. “That kind of stuck out in my mind. Had he not gone to church and heard me speak I probably wouldn’t have hired him.”

Amazing how a simple reuniting would shape Clemson football for the next 15 years.

After joining Bowden, Swinney took over as Clemson's recruiting coordinator from Rick Stockstill. Swinney proved to be both an excellent wide receivers coach as well as recruiting coordinator, coaching ACC-leading receivers and being named one of the nation's top 25 recruiters in 2007. 

Most notably, Swinney secured the commitment of 5-star running back CJ Spiller from Lake Butler, Florida. Spiller's dynamic play helped boost Clemson's status with recruits in the Sunshine State.

Little did Clemson fans know the fresh-faced wide receivers coach who was crushing it on the recruiting trail would eventually lead them to the consistency they craved. 

We continue this three-part series with 'The Roller Coaster' tomorrow. Join Clemson Sports Talk for just $1.