Wake Forest
- Thread starter FrontRoyalSpider
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This is a very good win for Clawson. Duke was picked to win their division in the ACC. I spoke to a Wake alum recently. They are very excited about Clawson and their team. It takes him about 4-5 years to really make an impact. I think Clawson is about there. Wake was a 2nd choice for me as well.
who predicted Duke to win their division? Most of the ones I've seen is UNC, Miami, Va Tech.
Clawson is an awesome program builder. He knows how to build a team with depth if you give him a few years. See the machine he left London here as exhibit A.
That was a really nice win for Wake.
That was a really nice win for Wake.
don't think he is quite there yet but we will see when he plays the big state schools and see if he is competitive. he will get there, great recruiter and game coach.
I remember we used to play Wake, and won often. But I guess they can't pay us enough to play any longer
since they don't have a big fan base.
Looking at that schedule, he could definitely win 8 this year. 2-0 with UD, Indiana, Army, UVA, BC still to come ... oh my.
Clawson is a very good coach. Although, he jumps around a little too much for my taste. Would UR have won the national championship, if he had stayed?
a coach will move around to get to where he ultimately wants to go and don't think wake is his ultimate stop. when he interviewed with boston college was told he needed experience at the top level so went to the vols to get that. same with ML when he interviewed for the UR job the first time, was told he needed some more on his resume, got it and the next time, got the job. some coaches are not head coach material, those who are, get what they need or what they are told they need and move until they get to where they always wanted to go, the conf or the school, the city or whatever. heck, i moved numerous times knowing i had to in order to acquire more responsibility, more money, more security for my fam.
The only jump I question is the one he made to Tenn after us. Fordham to UR good upward move, UR to Tenn upward but not wise. Bowling Green had to go somewhere and Bowling Green's commitment to football is very dubious. BG to WF upward to a power 5 conference team. He's almost 50.
Three of BG's last four head coaches have gone on to better jobs: Dino Babers (BG to Syracuse); Clawson (BG to WFU) and some guy named Urban Meyer (BG to Utah). It's been a pretty solid MAC program for quite a while.
The guy made a bad career move to Tennessee but lots of people make bad career moves. Bowling Green was probably about the best he could have done after the Tennessee debacle.
The reality is that Clawson would have probably been the UVA coach in 2009 (and possibly still today) if he just hung around here for one more year.
Still am perplexed why Clawson gets revered on here for leaving us for a assistant job at Tennessee but London gets villified for taking the head coaching job at UVA. Also in my pecking order of coaches, I'm ranking the guy who actually won a National Championship first.
I think it's more on how they left and what they left us with. London left 5 minutes after after losing in the national semi finals. Clawson in January. Hard to put together a good game plan when one foots out the door. You can still salvage a recruiting class.
I use to hate on London for leaving how he did but don't anymore after knowing how the business works these days.
I will say I like Rocco more then DC and ML, though both deserve credit for bringing the program to new heights.
I use to hate on London for leaving how he did but don't anymore after knowing how the business works these days.
I will say I like Rocco more then DC and ML, though both deserve credit for bringing the program to new heights.
It's more than just the job title they left for. Clawson gets credit for turning a what was then a bit of a struggling program into a national title contender. London took the last step with what was basically Clawson's team. And then of course there was the perception of how London left and whether he was focused enough on the team he had in the FCS playoffs versus his next gig.
in speaking with DC after his interview at boston college, he knew if he wanted a big time head job, had to have experience there so went to the vols and think that was a good move for him at the time. now, if he had remained at UR, would doubt seriously, then, that he would have gotten a sniff at uva, now, yes but not then. he now has OC at ut on his resume and many more things and if he brings wake up, he will get a shot at what he is after.
I agree with this.
London had been at UVA as an assistant under Groh and the AD and others had loved him. Their AD had made the decision that if London could show some success at a head coaching job he would be Groh's replacement. DC did not have the benefit of that experience.
I think that the mistake DC made was believing that Fulmer could turn around the program with his help as OC, a calculated risk but well worth taking if your aspirations were such as his.
I have always respected and appreciated Clawson...much more than Beilein who was looking for another job the day that he arrived. I sensed this throughout his tenure. Not so with DC and ML.
As to London, I don't know what I would have done were I in his shoes. Poor timing, I agree, but the financial opportunity of a lifetime is hard to turn down and I am sure he did not want the opportunity to get away, especially having had such a great experience in C'ville under Groh and having children at the school. I find it hard to blame him for jumping at the opportunity presented to him.
Clawson didn't look completely unprepared in a home playoff game 24 hours before leaving. That's probably why.
Clawson's move was not smart because Fulmer's job was hanging on a thread at the time but he left us with a loaded team. There are more than a few people who think London's leaving wasn't bad at all. Plus he did what he said he wouldn't and took a recruit and he left a mess here. Even at UVA I don't think he fully appreciates the importance of linemen. The hires that followed London's leaving were just stupid, (of course with benefit of hindsight)
Clawson could have stepped into the head coaching job at Tennessee, if he could have improved/ helped the school win. It was worth a shot. I have to say that Clawson usually spends about 5 years at each school and then he moves on.
Clawson assembled a team capable of winning a national championship. London finished that part of the job, but didn't build on it.
I'd always heard what a great recruiter ML was (that was an attraction for UVa), but it appears that's not the case. Look at what a mess UVa is now. We pushed them around.
Our talent started to slip and it showed in 2010 and 2011. You win a NC, that should be a huge recruiting boost!
We've been pretty spoiled with 3 quality HCs and only one losing season in the past decade.
I'd always heard what a great recruiter ML was (that was an attraction for UVa), but it appears that's not the case. Look at what a mess UVa is now. We pushed them around.
Our talent started to slip and it showed in 2010 and 2011. You win a NC, that should be a huge recruiting boost!
We've been pretty spoiled with 3 quality HCs and only one losing season in the past decade.
The only thing that I can fInd fault in Dave Clawson was his telling Jim Miller that hiring Latrell was a good idea. Just a horrendous judgement of character in that instance.
Mo, I respect you but you are dead wrong on Latrell. He made some immature decisions while driving but to make that statement about his character is incorrect. Your comment is unlike you. I know this man well and like ALL of us we have made stupid decisions.
Clawson really got the program over the hump in terms of assembling a balanced, talented roster. London did a great job of motivating and leading that roster all the way to the national championship.
Clawson did an excellent job of program and roster management. By the time he left for Tennessee we had depth all over the roster. London has always been known for his recruiting (especially in the Tidewater area) but it seemed like he brought in a few skill guys but not a whole lot of numbers on either line of scrimmage. You saw that lack of depth in the trenches materialize after London left. Honestly, we are finally seeing that depth again now that Rocco has had a chance to stock the roster with all "his" recruits.
Clawson did an excellent job of program and roster management. By the time he left for Tennessee we had depth all over the roster. London has always been known for his recruiting (especially in the Tidewater area) but it seemed like he brought in a few skill guys but not a whole lot of numbers on either line of scrimmage. You saw that lack of depth in the trenches materialize after London left. Honestly, we are finally seeing that depth again now that Rocco has had a chance to stock the roster with all "his" recruits.
Some other comments may have some merit but I've seen this one before and I disagree. We were leading that game late against App State. Lost on a final drive against Armanti Edwards one of the best FCS players of all time. Appy State was still good and probably had some revenge on their minds from previous season. Wasn't a big upset. I don't think you can say the team played unprepared. How did London look unprepared in the game, did he make intentional bad calls overriding his D coordinator on that final drive? I acknowledge there were distractions during the week, but that's sports. You can have distractions and still be prepared.
Hanca, I think the only person who knows the truth about that is the trooper that stopped him. I will make no further comments, as i am upset that we are making those type comments on this board. Not the place for personal attacks in my opinion. Especially behind fictitious name.
We'll have to agree to disagree on this one. Honestly, my feelings have less to do with the DUI(s) and more to do with inappropriate relationships and mistreatment of players and subordinates. Stuff I've seen with my own eyes on campus, across town and even out of state. He may be reformed but he was totally out to lunch for several years here.
I'm sorry if this comes across as a bit 'catty' but i care a lot about this program - a lot more than he did during his time.
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