Just 5 points short of running the table this year was Clemson Coach Dabo Sweeney, making him the almost unanimous choice for Coach of the Year.  I love hanging out with guys who are the best in the field as most of you know about me, however this guy is really special. I made a trip to see him last spring when he was part of a coaches clinic that I attend, put on by Nike, in Louisville and we became instant friends.  I spent some extra time with Dabo and found him to be my kind of guy and was able to see what makes him tick. It is way more than football, even though as we all can see right now he is one of the very best in the Nation at coaching our sport. Dabo runs a high powered offense and defense but directs his team with old fashion love of faith, family  and football, with an intensity not matched by many.
Wednesday night is family dinner night at the home of the Tigers and you will see coaches and players, and their wives, and their kids all over the indoor facilities enjoying family meal and family time together molding them and binding their friendship in a way not achieved by many. All you players know very well that if we are playing with and for our brothers, it is so much more powerful than when we try to achieve on our own, and put up what we consider to be personal stats. There is a bond between players at Clemson that when they show up for game time is very difficult to compete with on the gridiron.  It is because of Dabo Sweeney and the way he runs this program. There is a genuine love for each other between players, coaches and their families and all those involved with this ACC champion (and second only to the Alabama Crimson Tide), Clemson Tigers team.
A special thanks to Dabo for his sharing with me the fine points of success with his Wide Receivers and all those drills which are continuing to help me make many more D1 players throughout the Midwest and I certainly look forward to seeing a few in a Clemson Uniform at least as long as Dabo Sweeney is the head coach there.
Congratulations to the very deserving, COACH OF THE YEAR