Take a moment and read Swinney's Success, Bowden's Legacy, One in the Same (Pt. 1) and One in the Same Pt. 2 before reading this article.
In part one of this series, we opened with Tommy Bowden's vision for new facilities in Tiger Town. During his tenure construction on the WestZone began in 2004 and the facility opened in 2006 giving Clemson the stadium showcase it had lacked.
Unfortunately for Bowden, he didn't have much time to benefit from it, but Dabo Swinney certainly has.
In a recent interview with The State Newspaper Bowden noted, “Gosh, when I went there it was just trying to get out of the metal lockers we had, just try to make steps, but he’s taken it way beyond that. Clemson has continued to lead the arms race from a facilities standpoint.”
Clemson has further expanded with a state of the art indoor practice facility, and the adjacent Football Operations Building is considered by many to be the standard in college football.
Clemson's willingness to address the lack of top-level facilities put the Tigers and Swinney in position to recruit at an elite level, making the remarkable run they've been on a possibility.
Swinney has always seen the bigger picture. There were seasons that he took less money so that his assistants could have more. He made bold moves when making the wrong move could have ended his tenure.
Face it; Swinney was a reach. There were bigger names available, but Swinney kept the program together in 2008. Those that didn't agree with the hire were waiting to pounce on the athletic administration at the first signs that Swinney was in over his head.
Following Clemson's 6-7 season in 2010, Swinney brought in Chad Morris and his hurry-up, no-huddle offense. Morris, Tulsa's offensive coordinator, was a relative unknown. He was just two years removed from being the head coach at Lake Travis High School.
If Swinney's hire of Morris flopped, he probably doesn't live to see the 2012 season as Clemson's head coach.
The move worked out, and Clemson's offense became one of the fastest and successful in the country. The next season, Clemson captured the elusive ACC title and made the school's first BCS bowl berth.
Things were looking up. The Tigers were often recognized as "The Oregon of the East Coast."
Clemson's visit to the 2012 Orange Bowl didn't go as planned as West Virginia whipped Clemson 70-33. Once again, Swinney was faced with a tough decision. Losing is one thing, but giving up the most points in the history of the bowl system was another.
The Tigers were 81st nationally giving up 29 points a game that season and to become one of the elite teams Kevin Steele had to go.
Swinney then pursued one of the best defensive minds in America, Oklahoma's Brent Venables. On January 18, 2012, Venables accepted the job at Clemson.
Since making that move, Clemson is 72-10.
Swinney had an offensive guru and a defensive mastermind on his staff. The sky was the limit, and the Tigers finished in the top ten the next two years going 11-2 and being on the verge of becoming a national power.
The following year, Clemson went 10-3 and Just before the Russel Athletic Bowl, Morris bolted for SMU. Clemson's star freshman Deshaun Watson was out, and senior Cole Stoudt who struggled under Morris led Clemson into the matchup.
Swinney had to make a quick hire, and he nailed it. People asked about "Morris' offense," but Swinney insisted it was a "Clemson offense" and he turned it over to assistant coaches Tony Elliott and Jeff Scott.
In a game few expected Clemson to win, the Tigers hammered Oklahoma 40-6.
In a move that many critics laughed at, Swinney has had the last laugh.
The co-offensive coordinators and former stretch partners at Clemson are now 41-3 since taking over the offense. They've helped Clemson reach three consecutive College Football Playoffs, and two title games so far.
Under Swinney, Clemson has now set a school-record with seven consecutive 10-win seasons. They've won four ACC titles and a National Championship.
Swinney's record against some of the top teams in football is impressive as well. During his tenure, he's 19-3 against Alabama (1-1), Auburn (4-1), Oklahoma (2-0), Ohio State (2-0), LSU (1-0), Notre Dame (1-0), Miami (3-1), and Virginia Tech (5-0).
The wins and losses all go under Swinney's name, but it was Bowden's vision that put Clemson in position to make this type of run. He also saw something special in Swinney.
While many Clemson fans still hold a grudge against Bowden, Swinney certainly does not. Back in 2015, Swinney said, “I wouldn’t be here right now if it wasn't for Tommy Bowden. He’s been incredibly supportive.”
Swinney wanted to turn Clemson into a national power, and he's done that. Catch phrases like, "have a windshield mentality" and "every week is the biggest game" were once chuckled at for their simplicity.
Perhaps simplicity was the key. Making every game the most important equalizes your performance. It takes away the pressure of what would otherwise be deemed "big" games. It minimizes the ups and downs that haunted Bowden at Clemson.
It's been all about having the right mindset, and that's harder to do than you'd think.
Swinney has achieved the Bobby Bowden-like consistency at Clemson mainly because of the vision that Tommy instilled in his mind.
Bowden left his mark on Clemson's campus by being the stepping stone that the Tigers needed to make their way back to being a championship-contending program. He laid the foundation.
From there, Swinney built and has continued to build Clemson to rarified air. The Swinney legacy grows by the season and who knows when it'll be time for him to pass the keys to someone else.
While many fans had a hard time riding the roller coaster of Bowden's tenure, Clemson fans should enjoy the ride that they are on right now. It's been the best decade in Clemson football history.
The ride won't always be this smooth.
Bowden and Swinney are just what Clemson needed. The legacies of the two head coaches aren't all that different.
They are one in the same.
