In a 12 game season, it seems ludicrous to reward mediocrity by allowing teams that finish 6-6 to participate in a bowl game despite their schedule. Further, since over half of the Division I teams are invited to bowl games, coaches shouldn’t be allowed to use bowl eligibility as a reason for remaining in charge. Few epitomize this approach more than Clemson’s Tommy Bowden.
Tommy, son of legendary coach Bobby Bowden, is a consistent underperformer who justifies a salary of over $1 million per year by claiming that winning seven or eight games is enough. This comes on the heels of a beatdown in a bowl game with Kentucky where the Tigers were embarrassed.
Clemson was one of the hottest teams of the 1980s and won the 1981 national title by defeating Nebraska. After a series of poor coaching moves, the Tigers brought in Bowden for several reasons; marketing (his name is Bowden) and his 11-0 record at Tulane. In eight years as the Clemson coach, Bowden has failed to live up to the hype afforded him.
Amazingly he took on Steve Spurrier in a war of words over Spurrier’s salary increase in 2006. Bowden claimed that winning seven games at South Carolina is good enough to merit an increase but at Clemson, Bowden would be dismissed if he won only seven games. He’s correct in a sense. He needs to be dismissed. He also shouldn’t comment about coaches who’ve actually won national titles.
Clemson has a stadium that seats in excess of 80,000 people and they spent over 40 million dollars on a new West End Zone project. To show for it, they have a coach who can’t get his team to the next level.
The decision is clear in the minds of many; fire Tommy Bowden.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - chad
fire him, and hire who? that's the problem. look how much trouble alabama is having finding a proven coach.
2 - Matthew T. Sussman
B-b-but ... purple uniforms!
3 - Jeremy
There are 2.5 million ($) reasons why he's not going anywhere this year.
4 - Richard Ford
Something is very very wrong with this Clemson football team. The talent level of the players dose not look like the problem. Bowen asked for and received renovation projects on facilities. The fan base support and money for the program are certainly there. We are running out of places to look for the problem. Coaching isn't too important is it. Dare we consider that.
5 - The Critic
Alabama is having a hard time finding a coach because of the atmosphere not because people don't want to coach.
Clemson has far too much talent and a large fanbase. Coach Bowden should be dismissed.
6 - Cutthroat
Bowden has had plenty of time to improve the Clemson football program. He has failed, and as many have already stated, it is time for Clemson to fire him and move on.
7 - Mac Stiles
Bama got their man. Clemson would struggle to find anyone even close to Bowden's caliber.
8 - Rich
Agreed. Clemson needs to shell out the cash and get a good coach. Period. But I think Bowden can take all the shots at Spurrier he wants. Bowden doesn't have a national title to boast, but he has an undefeated season, something Spurrier (or Flordia for that matter) can't say. Plus, I think Spurrier is bound to fail at South Car. So many have.
9 - CS
Wow Rich, pretty insightful. Tommy had an undeafted season where? Tulane? Who do they play? Spurrier coaches in the toughest conference in the country where hardly anyone can go undefeated and if they do they probably become national champions. Heck, he even took Duke a long way in the All Cupcake Conference. SC will be the team to beat in the east if they get the win against KY this Thusday so is that failing? I think the tigers would love to be in the same position right now.
10 - conley
He needs to go. Bowden was hired for one reason, his last name. Big deal he went 11-0 at Tulane. When Daddy retires he is done and I hope way before that. Each yr he continues to show a team that is unprepared, the schedule never gets more aggresive, and he still finishes no better than 7 wins at bestin a weaker conference. Really, how would Clemson do in the SEC?? Don't get me wrong, I am a big CU fan but Clemson has way too much $ and resources to settle for a subpar Bowden last name coach and hype up some Bowden Bowl every yr. Oh, and let's not brag about beating a very down FSU program which has clearly saved his job along with dominating SC for yrs, even though they have sucked till this pt. When Rodriguez left, it has been an obvious downspin. Let's reach deep down and use the bottomless resources IPTAY has and go get a great coach. Any one of LSUs coordintors will do a much better job than Bowden. I am sick and tired of hearing about him being on the hot seat all yr and then somehow keeps his job.
11 - Josh
Bowden needs to go. Your absolutely correct about that Conley but to even think that Clemson has the chance, hope, dream of grabbing one of the LSU coordinators is riduculous. Hmmm....lets see. Should I go to an ACC school, Clemson, or stay in the SEC and win a National Championship, again? Not a very tough question to answer. Clemson keeps Bowden and continues to be average at best while its fans relish the thought of having a coach from the "Real Death Valley."
12 - conley
I disagree. Money talks and it speaks very loud. Just ask Jimbo and Saban. I guarantee you, you show those guys $2.5M a yr and they would care less about living in Baton Rouge and would move to Lake Hartwell on the golf course and be in God's Country 1 mile from work. With all the resources and money a program could ask for to get the job done. Terry Don, step up to the plate and fire that candy*ss!!
13 - conley
Oh, and another thing....Bowden couldn't hold Spurrier's jock strap if Spurrier forced him to (Chad)....Let's see, undefeated against what?? A FSU team that was whipping him but ran out of time and tons of penalties (in their first game with all new coaches), UL Monroe?, Furman?, NC State (LOL), and then what??...they couldn't even put it in the endzone against an unranked GaTech team and missed four FGs(mainly b/c they had no confidence in the offense scoring) with Davis and Spiller in the backfield. Are you kidding me? This team has tons of talent, no leadership on the field. Same story for the last 7 yrs. How many chances does this 'great family man who is great for the community' get?
14 - Steve
Fire Bowden!!
15 - Lou
Ditto: Fire Bowden!!
16 - wptnnc
maybe Clemson can get Urban Meyer since he lost 2 in a row, lol.......seriously, who would you go after? how bout the guy from South Florida? now there's somebody who's done SOMETHING!!
17 - Davis
Clemson just needs to make a decision on wether they want to be an OK team or a great team. Lets face it Tommy doesn't have the guts that it takes to make a great team. If you listen to his comments after a loss it's never his fault. He was upset with a reporter for asking him what he was going to due about his horrible special teams after Georgia Tech and Tommy got defensive and asked the reporter where he was getting his information because the special teams is not that bad. Well it looks like Tommy might due something about it now after saturdays game since he couldn't see what everyone else could see. CLemson could easily find a better coach. If South Carolina a team Clemson has owned can get Lou and Steve there should be no reason Clemson can't get a better coach even in the ACC. There are some very good coaches in the ACC that have won it all at schools that can't pay the money Clemson can.
18 - conley
Well, well, well....let's see. Saturday's game was a classic Bowden prepared team, or rather not prepared. What is the first thing you bang in your guy's heads when you play VTech??...Beamerball!! How embarrassing it was to watch our guys try to catch those special team guys go end to end with the ball( let's be glad they called one of the 3 back for a penalty.) Bowden once again, just like yr after yr, has his team ill prepared and lost a game they shouldn't have right after they got embarrassed by GaTech. And it's never his fault, of course not!!! Fire Bowden. Looking at the schedule at this pt, we should be the same 6-5 or 7-4 team if we are lucky and many people will be praising Tommy Boy for making Clemson bowl eligible, as if that should be difficult considering the conference weakness and the resources we have. FIRE BOWDEN!!!!!! We are all sick and tired of watching the same story every yr. And if you are someone reading this that states "But who would we hire?...we can't get someone as good as Tommy Boy"...what a joke...there are many great coaches out there. Too many to list!!!! That is a cop-out and that is the very same attitude Clemson has had and that is why we have wasted our resources for the last 5-7 yrs.!!!!!!!! FIRE BOWDEN!!!!!!!
19 - conley
And let's not forget the embarrassment he brought to the state of SC when 'his' team decided to brawl with Lou's Gamecocks. That should have been enough to terminate him due the negative publicity, lost income not going to the bowl, recruiting, etc etc etc. Not to mention his great 6-5 record that year AND losing to Duke. See ya, he's gotta go!! FIRE TOMMY BOY!!!!
20 - mobile
Please trustees lets get the ball running on this...lets get a new coach!
21 - TOMMY WEST
I HOPE TOMMY RUNS THE TABLE....THEN QUITS. YOU PEOPLE ARE SO UNREALISTIC......SOUTH FLORIDA GUY....TOOK HIM 10 YEARS TO WIN....COWER...TOOK CLOSE TO 20 YEARS TO WIN THE BIG 1....YOU WOULD RUN ANY COACH OFF THAT DOESN'T WIN 90% OF THEIR GAMES. LETS JOIN SOME MID MAJOR SO YOU CAN FEEL BETTER ABOUT YOURSELVES. MAYBE PROBATION PELL IS AVAILABLE.
PS - CONLEY HAS A MAN CRUSH ON SPURRIER
22 - Justin
Just stumbled on this almost two years later. I wonder if the author feels stupid yet.
23 - rob anderson
Nice analysis, but you forgot one. Ever since he took over and we get ranked in the top 10, he loses miserably. Then we drop out of the top 10, usually down to the 20's or worse, and then he rolls off a few wins over crappy teams.
He needs to go. Its clear he can't get this team over the hump and as long as he stays, we will always be a 7-5, 8-4 team, losing at least one game each year that we shouldn't and then winning one we shouldn't too.
Todays loss to Alabama was a joke. The team was unprepared, unmotivated, and out coached by Saban and Alabama. Clear evidence - how many 3rd and longs did our db's play 5 yards behind the first down marker and then give up the first down pass. That was ridiculous.
We have the recruits, facilities, and existing talent, we just don't have a damn coach.
Fire Tommy Bowden NOW
24 - Noah Welsh
He always uses the excuse that it takes time to build a program. Well hes had ten years, and it took Saban just over a year to whip our asses.
25 - higrig
Tommy Bowden has been the Head Coach for what 8 or 9 years now. And durnig this time he's won the ACC Football Championship a Total of 0 times. And anytime there's a big National exposure game that come up. What happens. In my opinion (And this is only my opinion no facts to back it up.) the team comes out looking outclassed and outcoached. Yet some how, some way Mr. Bowden always seems to find that game in the season That magical game of the year to save his job as the Head Coach. Now I'll admit when when Mr. Bowden was first hired I was optimistic after hearing what he'd done at Tulane. However Mr. Bowden has not been able to recapture the magic here in the ACC qnd I think it's time for the Board of Directors to wake up. Make a hard decission. FIRE Mr. Bowden. Somebody asked Who? Good Question. Danny Ford's not looking to get back in Coaching is he? And If anybody name Ken Hatfield I become a PAC 10 fan. And as for the Purple uniforms I taught we were trying out for a part in one of the Batman movies as henchman for the JOKER.