The Clemson football program was fortunate to hire Dabo Swinney. Here are five other CFB programs who are in need of the same type of hire.
Clemson University made a program-altering decision when it decided to hire Dabo Swinney as the head coach of the Clemson football program.
Swinney didn’t have any head coaching experience and was very young, but hit the ground running and helped breathe new life into the program, coining the phrase ‘All In.’
Though it took some time for him to build the Clemson football program, it didn’t take long for Tiger fans to realize that he was special and that Swinney had a vision that extended far beyond the wildest dreams of most who had been around the program.
There were several things that set Dabo Swinney apart from the rest: He had a clear vision for the program, he was willing to make good hires, he was straightforward with recruits and fans alike, and he had a passion that extended into more than just football.
Swinney’s attitude and competitive nature allowed him to build the program and, as a result, he has the Tigers sitting on top of the College Football world.
The truth is this: There isn’t another Dabo Swinney.
There aren’t coaches just readily available to step in and become a Dabo Swinney-type figure. However, there are characteristics and attitudes that programs should be looking for when they hire a head coach.
Today, we’re going to take a look at five programs who could be national contenders if they could or would hire a coach with the ability to develop into a Dabo Swinney-like figure. Not Dabo Swinney, but someone who could breathe new life into the program, be up-front and use the resources around them to build success.
The programs we considered have the resources to be successful, but are missing that key ingredient. Oh, if they had only looked elsewhere for their hire or if the tables had turned all those years ago, these programs could be tremendously different.
5. Texas A&M Aggies
Texas A&M offered Jimbo Fisher a huge contract and it’s clear the Aggies are pretty much locked in for the time being.
Though Fisher has brought in some excitement into the program, the truth is that Texas A&M just isn’t that good. Fisher is a solid X’s and O’s coach, but he hasn’t shown the ability to build a sustainable program.
If you were to give Dabo Swinney- or someone similar- those resources, the College Football world would have a tough time competing with Texas A&M.
4. Michigan Wolverines
Remember when everyone said that Michigan would be a consistent national contender under Jim Harbaugh? Well, that’s been less than accurate.
The Wolverines have absolutely no offensive identity and they haven’t for many years. Harbaugh has constantly changed Offensive Coordinators and nothing is working for the Wolverines, honestly.
Yes, they may win 8 or 9 games a year. But, they can’t beat Ohio State and they can’t win their division. Ultimately, that means they can’t get to the CFB Playoff.
Michigan fans seemingly are beginning to notice that the Harbaugh experiment is failing miserably and a change may be coming soon.
3. Miami Hurricanes
Miami used to be one of the most physical, feared programs in the nation. Now, the Hurricanes are a laughing stock.
While it’s too early to judge Manny Diaz, there certainly are early signs that he’s not going to be a good fit for Miami. He’s already coming up with gimmicks and buying into the hype without any true warrant.
Can you imagine if a Dabo Swinney-type figure took over that program?
They’d make it obviously clear that the team needed an on-campus stadium. They’d cut out the shenanigans and make the program be taken seriously for once. You’d start to see a recruiting focus emphasized on character, not just star-ratings.
It would take some time, but it would do wonders for the Hurricanes.
2. Florida State Seminoles
Willie Taggart has had little-to-no success at Florida State to this point.
Though he’s only in his second year, Seminole fans are already beginning to question him. Taggart is recruiting at a semi-decent level, but Florida State has shown no improvement from year one to year two.
In addition to not showing improvement on the field, Taggart has had several questionable comments that make you wonder about his ability as a head coach. For example, blaming the reason the Seminoles lost to Boise State on not being hydrated.
Though Florida State doesn’t have the resources of some of the other powerhouses around the country, it is still a traditional power. That brand would do well with someone at the helm who knew how to actively recruit, bring in the right players and make the right hires as well.
1. Tennessee Volunteers
Does anyone remember the last time Tennessee was relevant? Honestly, it may have been back in 2003 when the Volunteers were beaten in the Peach Bowl by Clemson, led by Tommy Bowden at the time.
Anyway, Tennessee fans are longing to get out of mediocrity.
Tennessee has the resources and massive fan base to be relevant, but things just haven’t been good up in Knoxville in quite some time.
Jeremy Pruitt is trying to be the next Nick Saban in way too many ways. You don’t need to try and out-Saban Nick Saban. Instead, you need a coach with a vision and ability to be different from the rest of the SEC.
Overall, these programs could be changed had they made different hires. Dabo Swinney is a once-in-a-lifetime coach and Clemson football fans need to be appreciative, but I’m sure many fans of these other programs have major ‘what-ifs’ running through their heads quite often.