James Davis upon his interview on Bowden’s exit. (it’s on Rivals site, I don’t want any trouble of c/p it)

First let me say that this image says so much about who James Davis is. In his interview, he calls Bowden “pretty much his father”. He reached a point where he just bowed his head and solemnly made his way through the reporters without being able to answer any other questions.

James has evolved so much under Bowden, from a kid who came in and ran back home after the first sign of disappointment to a young man who decided that he would stick around to help his team win and became the leader of the offense. Bowden was James’ confidant who never led James astray and now James has had to watch his role model exit in one of the worst ways. James stated that he never got a chance to have a one on one with Bowden before he left.

And I have to say that I sort of feel the same way. Mixed emotions yes, did I know it had to come to this ….. yes. But I remember when Tommy came to Clemson after Tommy West left. I went to school through the West years and got to witness the rise of Clemson to what it is today. I watched Death Valley evolve into a modern arena. I watched IPTAY grow to the largest membership ever. I watched Clemson become a nationally recognized school, continuously watching reporters and fans alike gasp in awe as Clemson pulled top recruit after top recruit.

I was a Tommy Bowden fan and will continue to be. I thank him for everything that he has done for the university and hope that, in time, he does not harbor hard feelings against the university. If this was truly his doing, then I hope he left on amicable terms. He is a good man and was a great coach who brought many great memories to the Tiger faithful. You can read my library of Tommy defenses and those of you who visit frequently know I was one of the last to jump ship.

In the end, all I can say is Thank You Tommy. Thanks for the memories and for what you have done for this University. I hope that Clemson finds a replacement that can mirror your accomplishments off the field in recruiting and development and somehow finds the way to get over that proverbial hump that the team never seemed to clear. I hope that you move on successfully and know that you will. I hope that you return to Death Valley one day as an opponent and get a respectful entrance.

I am sad to see him go but hope that, with this move, Clemson is able to find the one to get the job done. The coach can be replaced but the man will be the harder to replace.

And now…..the new era begins.

Craig “Poppa” Loston has confirmed that with Bowdens dismissal that he will not be attending Clemson.

DeVonte Holloman is on the fence and is re-opening his recruitment by calling and decomitting to Clemson.

This may or may not be a catalyst with the #1 recruited defensive player saying No to Clemson. We will see.

So, Cullen Harper has decided that he won’t hold back on his opinions of the firing of Tommy Bowden and has already made his way to the media. Basically, Cullen throws Tommy under the bus in saying that he deserved what he got.

DAMN!!

How does the rest of the team feel if the starting QB that Tommy had stood behind most of the season feels this way?!

As for Tommy, I wish him luck. He brought great things and brought Clemson to a new level of national recognition. He is a good man and a good coach, just not the man to get Clemson to the next level. Hopefully, whoever replaces Tommy can keep the athletic talent both on and off the field to similar, if not better, levels as well as make a smooth transition.

I also hope that the institution of Swinney at Interim HC sends recruits the right message and doesn’t send any astray.

SPENCE FOLLOWS SUIT

As of Monday morning Tommy Bowden is no long the head coach of Clemson University. Dabo Swinney will be taking over for the rest of the season. More details to follow as they become available. No need to pinch yourself, this is for real!