Bobby Bowden Out As Clemson Coach

Clemson fired football coach Tommy Bowden on Monday, four days after the Tigers lost to Wake Forest and fell to 3-3, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the situation.

Bowden informed his assistant coaches of his firing this morning. Assistant head coach/wide receivers coach Dabo Swinney has been named the team’s interim coach for the final six regular-season games and potential bowl game.

Clemson has scheduled a late-afternoon news conference.

“They just told us. It’s what he deserved,” said senior quarterback Cullen Harper, who was benched after the Tigers’ loss to Wake Forest loss and replaced by highly regarded sophomore Willy Korn. “Dabo Swinney is a fine man and will do an excellent job.”

Clemson’s 10th season under Tommy Bowden unraveled quickly. The Tigers were expected to contend for the ACC title.

Harper struggled playing behind an inexperienced offensive line this season. His father, Jeff Harper, an offensive lineman on Georgia’s 1980 national championship team, said Bowden’s dismissal was justified.

“I’d call it karma,” he said. “I thought it needed to be done. I think anytime a head coach or someone in a leadership position starts to place blame on his coaches and players, it weakens their respect on the team. His past experiences have shown he’s done that.”

The Tigers were ranked No. 9 in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 poll and were favored to win their first ACC championship in Bowden’s 10th season as coach. But Alabama blasted the Tigers 34-10 in the Aug. 30 opener in Atlanta’s Georgia Dome, and Clemson then lost to Maryland at home and again to Wake Forest to drop its record to 1-2 in ACC play.

Bowden received a lucrative contract extension from Clemson following the 2007 season and after considering a potential coaching position at Arkansas. The son of Florida State coach Bobby Bowden, Tommy Bowden was 72-45 with eight bowl appearances at Clemson.

Clemson center Thomas Austin was “caught off guard” by Bowden’s firing.

“You hear rumors, but I’ve heard that before, so I’m definitely surprised,” Austin said. “We were definitely struggling. I think that this could hopefully unify our team in the long run. We’ve got six games left and definitely have the ability to turn things around.”

Not offensive enough

Clemson running back C.J. Spiller had mixed emotions seeing Bowden let go.

“I’m shocked. We are 3-3 because we didn’t make enough big offensive plays,” Spiller said. “I’m shocked by our record and now I’m shocked that our coach is gone.

“I enjoyed playing for coach Bowden and I liked him, but in the end he was yelling at us to be leaders and it wasn’t working. He did all he could to motivate us but guys weren’t buying into what he was saying. And he said a lot of the same things over and over again.

“He let the offensive coordinator [Rob Spence] run the show and we got away from me and James [Davis]. I think part of the problem was when he benched Cullen. Some people wanted the offensive coordinator fired, [Bowden benched] the quarterback and then he got fired.”

Credit: ESPN