Dabo's attitude on change

[stlimprov]

I wonder sometimes how Dabo's role on Dubose's staff and how that turned out might inform his attitude on NIL and transfer portal now.

 

[sanjosecrimson]

I think Dabo is a good coach, not necessarily the top level. His teams are competitive but it was quarterbacks Watson and Lawrence who really won those championships. Generally if you have a QB good enough in college any coach can win a championship. Chizik certainly proved that. The brilliance of Saban's championships can be seen by the diverse QB's he won it with. His old school approach belongs at a lower level. The power 5 at this point is a pro sports league.

while I agree that the two QBs you mentioned were instrumental with his success, Clemson was loaded with some of the best talent on defense, esp. the DL during his run. His talent on offense was very good as well, particularly the RB and WR position. And lastly, he had loyal assistants who stayed with him for a long time which was key for keeping continuity under his tenure.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

while I agree that the two QBs you mentioned were instrumental with his success, Clemson was loaded with some of the best talent on defense, esp. the DL during his run. His talent on offense was very good as well, particularly the RB and WR position. And lastly, he had loyal assistants who stayed with him for a long time which was key for keeping continuity under his tenure.

I think the core of his success was his assistant coaches. During their run, Dabo was able to keep the same staff together for seven years. It isn't a coinky dink that as his staff of seven years started exiting for other jobs Clemson's success started taking a dive.

 

[BamaMoon]

while I agree that the two QBs you mentioned were instrumental with his success, Clemson was loaded with some of the best talent on defense, esp. the DL during his run. His talent on offense was very good as well, particularly the RB and WR position. And lastly, he had loyal assistants who stayed with him for a long time which was key for keeping continuity under his tenure.

When I think of his best teams I think about defense too.

Whatever he sold 'em, those assistants bought it. And this was during a time when CNS was hiring a new DC every other year.

 

[lowend]

When I think of his best teams I think about defense too.

Whatever he sold 'em, those assistants bought it. And this was during a time when CNS was hiring a new DC every other year.

The media went out of their way to portray Dabo as the anti-Saban during that time. He was the family friendly, cares about your kids, let's you go home, put a slide in the football building alternative to the win hungry, football obsessed death star in Tuscaloosa. His players had fun; ours were miserable on their "business trips."

 

[Isaiah 63:1]

I have a soft spot in my little consultant heart for anyone who sees a trend that everyone is following and decides to pursue a divergent path. The question is, can Dabo be successful with it? I'm not yet ready to dismiss that possibility.

Why are we so quick to assume that NIL money and transfer portal will be all that matters when, in the closest analog in US sports (major league baseball), the top payroll teams don't significantly outperform the average in terms of playoff appearances and championships over time? If, as is often said and believed, team culture in the business world "eats strategy for breakfast," why would that not be true in CFB? If, as Herb Brooks said, all-star teams fail because they rely solely on the individuals' talents rather than on playing as a team, and if CFB teams become more and more a collection of talent, isn't it reasonable that some if not most CFB teams will mismanage that talent and become, to paraphrase of Nick Saban from Gameday last weekend, sorta outta luck?

If Clemson can't compete with the tOSUs and UTws of the world in the age of NIL, a reasonable divergent strategy is to try to attract, develop, and retain guys who value being and playing as part of a team. I want him to succeed, and not solely because if Alabama can't keep up with the big NIL schools in terms of money, it's the approach we may have to follow to a degree...

 

[Joefus]

Clemson isn’t bad bc he doesn’t do a lot of nil they’re bad bc he hasn’t had a decent qb since Lawrence and he’s only had one decent oc the entirety of the time he’s been there. He’s gone after qbs in the portal and struck out everytime bc no elite qb wants to play in the trash system they run. IMO he shouldn’t be fired for the nil thing he should be fired for running a criminally inept offensive system for years on end

 

[BamaBoySince89]

At this point if he refuses to adapt then do the respectable thing by your players and that program Dabo and step aside. I’m sure you will be beloved for what you accomplished but his whole “I’m not doing it” attitude has gotten old quickly and it has to be wearing thin with the fanbase.

 

[BamaSC]

I've heard (or read) Dabo say they've looked at the portal. They missed on a couple of players they would like, but for the most part they haven't found anyone better than who's on the team. Clemson is very good at retaining and graduating their players, though. I think it comes down to shortcomings in coaching, player evaluation, and player development. Dabo hasn't been able to replace his assistant coaches with equal or better ones. We saw this with the exodus of Smart/Pruitt and Kiffin/Sark. Saban was never able to replace them with equal or better coaches either and the results showed on the field (not to Clemson's extent, but there was a drop off). Dabo really just needs to fix his offense. I'm not sure he knows how to do it or who to get that can do it for him.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

I've heard (or read) Dabo say they've looked at the portal. They missed on a couple of players they would like, but for the most part they haven't found anyone better than who's on the team. Clemson is very good at retaining and graduating their players, though. I think it comes down to shortcomings in coaching, player evaluation, and player development. We saw this with the exodus of Smart/Pruitt and Kiffin/Sark. Saban was never able to replace them with equal or better coaches and the results showed on the field (not to Clemson's extent, but there was a drop off). Dabo really just needs to fix his offense. I'm not sure he knows how to do it or who to get that can do it for him.

This ^^^

It impacted us when Saban started having issues finding quality assistants and it's definitely impacting Dabo. We were able to stay afloat because of Saban's insane recruiting. Dabo doesn't have the recruiting cache Saban did so a lot of our success came from we were just physically better than the majority of teams we played. Clemson, though still talented, doesn't have that luxury.

 

[mlh]

I think the core of his success was his assistant coaches. During their run, Dabo was able to keep the same staff together for seven years. It isn't a coinky dink that as his staff of seven years started exiting for other jobs Clemson's success started taking a dive.

Nailed it, Bamabuzzard.

Now, the question is, will Dabo adapt to the changes and the "new frontier" of college football? If he doesn't, his time at Clemson is limited. I have no idea what he will do. He's a young man who probably wants to keep coaching for a while longer. But he's also made enough money to retire and live comfortably without having to change his position. So it's something he'll have to work out. But oftentimes, when people say "never" they change their minds a few years later.

 

[Windsortide]

Dabo is playing the starring role in his own self demise.

 

[81usaf92]

Honestly I don’t understand why so many here were open to the idea of him being seriously considered for the job once CNS hung it up

 

[tusks_n_raider]

Honestly I don’t understand why so many here were open to the idea of him being seriously considered for the job once CNS hung it up

I don’t remember that many being vocal about Dabo being considered but that’s probably because I just mentally dismissed it immediately.

Dabo is more suited to be the HC at Auburn than Alabama.

 

[CoolBreeze]

I don’t remember that many being vocal about Dabo being considered but that’s probably because I just mentally dismissed it immediately.

Dabo is more suited to be the HC at Auburn than Alabama.

There was a huge contingent on this board discussing it. One thread was almost as long as a Milroe thread. Search and you can probably still find it.

 

[Chukker Veteran]

Dabo will be gone soon and Clemsoning will be a thing again.

Clemsoning...when a team underperforms.

Daboing...when a coach runs out of gas.

 

[tusks_n_raider]

There was a huge contingent on this board discussing it. One thread was almost as long as a Milroe thread. Search and you can probably still find it.

I just scanned the first few pages of the Replacement thread and they were scary.

Dabo’s name was mentioned but quickly shot down by many.

Lanning’s name was being thrown around more which is equally scary in retrospect.

B1G named CKD right off the bat so credit to him and our resident UGA fan Dawg was also a voice of reason.

I know Sark, Kiffin, and CKD were my Top 3.

I’m sure Dabo’s name was brought up more throughout the thread but I have faith that everytime it happened it was challenged.

 

[81usaf92]

I just scanned the first few pages of the Replacement thread and they were scary.

Dabo’s name was mentioned but quickly shot down by many.

Lanning’s name was being thrown around more which is equally scary in retrospect.

B1G named CKD right off the bat so credit to him and our resident UGA fan Dawg was also a voice of reason.

I know Sark, Kiffin, and CKD were my Top 3.

I’m sure Dabo’s name was brought up more throughout the thread but I have faith that everytime it happened it was challenged.

Yeah but you have to remember there were years worth of threads about Dabo. From 2013-2021 Dabo was one of the most popular names amongst the fan base. Then you have the insufferable contingent that defends everything he says and does because he is a “bama boy”

 

[tusks_n_raider]

Yeah but you have to remember there were years worth of threads about Dabo. From 2013-2021 Dabo was one of the most popular names amongst the fan base. Then you have the insufferable contingent that defends everything he says and does because he is a “bama boy”

Yeah you are right about that.

At least until they were clubbed by LSU in 2019 and started to come back to earth.

Once Dabo starting losing assistant coaches and generational QBs and refused to use the Portal the talk died down a bit.

 

[CrimsonTheory]

Clemsoning...when a team underperforms.

Daboing...when a coach runs out of gas.

That is what happens when you don't have a Watson/Lawrence covering up your flaws.