I remember sitting in the stands at Wake Forest's football stadium just over ten years ago, watching an abysmal performance by my Clemson Tigers. Who loses to Wake Forest? I had road tripped up there to see a guaranteed win - not an embarrassing loss.
The following Monday, Clemson fired their head coach Tommy Bowden and hired one of the assistant coaches as an interim head coach.
To be honest, I had no idea who this Dabo Swinney character was. He was an unknown. He was temporary. And sure, he beat USC at the end of the season but I was ready to see Clemson go out and hire a big name coach from another school. I didn't expect Clemson to hire Dabo full time.
...and now I can't imagine any other coach at Clemson.
It's an incredible time to be a Clemson graduate and a Clemson football fan. The last four years have been nothing short of magical thanks to Dabo and the culture that he's created at Clemson.
55 total wins
4 ACC Championships
3 appearances in the College Football Playoffs
2 National Championships
1 15-0 Season
Clemson posted this just after the 2017 National Championship Game, and it's still one of my favorite things that their social media team has ever put together.
— Clemson Football (@ClemsonFB) January 13, 2017Y'all, that was from his introductory press conference in December 2008. Nobody could have predicted the decade that would follow after he officially became head coach. Nobody.
I can tell you that there's not a single Clemson fan that's disappointed with his hire though. He's instilled a culture at Clemson that we all love that goes beyond winning. It's about the players. It's about more than just football. It's a family.
This was the weirdest football season for me. I only made it to three Clemson games before I got too pregnant to be able to navigate the hills around Clemson and the steps to our seats. I missed the Clemson / Carolina game for the first time in forever. I watched a lot of Clemson football from the couch at our house. I didn't make it up to Charlotte for the ACC Championship. But, I got a cute little Clemson fan out of it so, you know, priorities.
I can't wait to see what 2019 holds in store for Clemson! I can't wait to take Riley to her first football game in Death Valley... she might already have an outfit (or two} ready to go for next season. But for now, I'm going to soak in the moment. It's GREAT to be a Clemson Tiger!
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