Dabo hits it out of the park

Man, what a difference a coach makes. As in one that answers questions that are asked of him and says he doesn't know when he doesn't. Dabo Swinney hit it out of the park in his first press conference as Clemson's interim coach Monday morning and then came back for more on Tuesday, announcing among other things that the Tigers will wear all orange on Saturday.

Selected Swinney comments from day 2:

You've got to coach it (toughness) every day. Toughness is hitting first and hitting harder. Toughness is getting up. Toughness is making a mistake and you come back. Toughness is keeping your poise. Toughness is not throwing your helmet on the sideline after making a mistake. Toughness is coming to work when you don't want to come to work, or walking to your class in the rain at the eight in the morning. Toughness in football is who hits the hardest, hits first and hits the longest. We've got some tough guys. It's a tough game played by tough people. That's why there is 22 on the field and 80,000 in the stands. I want every player, including the kicker, be the toughest player on the field.

and this:

I want to reach out to the students here. There are some bridges I want to build. One of the things I believe in, is having to fit into the athletic department that this is the students' football team. They pay tuition here. They take pride in their university and root for their team. Sometimes I think it's us and them and there is a disconnect. That's not the way I want to be around here. We talk a lot about one Clemson. I'm going to do everything I can to promote that. One of the ways we can do that is to reach out to the students. The negativity is gone. It's time to root for these guys. I want the students to rally behind us. We are going to wear all orange. We have a solid orange campaign around here that talks about pride and we are going to show it. It's an orange-out or whatever you want to call it. Let's show some support for this football team. You don't like us coaches that's fine. But let's show some support for this football team because they are out here working. Come to cheer. Be loud. Wear your orange. Let's create an atmosphere. We've got recruits that are still with us and lets show an atmosphere that these kids will want to play in. The other thing I'd like to do, I want to have a student practice. Come to practice. However many of them want to come. No media. Student practice. Come and hang out with the team and watch us work. Another thing- we are going to have a pep rally in the next couple of weeks in their environment. Let's come together as a group.

As I mentioned to two friends today, my new nickname for him is the anti-Bowden. Now you know why.