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Speaking of contracts...
Posted 04:48 p.m., May 14, 2008
Another thing Katie Hill told me is that Tommy Bowden's new contract is nearly complete.
After flirting with Arkansas in December, Bowden agreed to a contract extension that would pay him $1.7 million in guaranteed money, plus the potential of another $500,000 in incentives. Also included is a buyout that's at $4 million in the first year.
As athletic director Terry Don Phillips has said before, the holdup was getting Bowden's retirement package squared away. Looks like it's about squared away.
LW
Comments
Posted by huj on May 15 at 7:49 a.m.
It's rather strange that Clemson made haste in drawing up a contract after the Arkansas thing, but Bowden isn't making the same haste in signing it.
I don't have a problem with the $1.7 million a year; my issue is and only is the buyout. By allowing itself to get strong-armed by Bowden and his Hog AD buddy Jeff Long, Clemson doesn't have a decent out. Sure, they have plenty of cash in the 'rainy day' fund, as TDP said after the 2006 Music City Bowl fiasco (implying paying a buyout won't be a problem), but that's kind of beside the point given Bowden's done nothing to warrant such a boost in his contract. Especially since TDP, I would guess, is still stewing over the stunt Bowden pulled.
What I wonder is, with his longtime connections to Arkansas, how TDP appeared to never have known that the Arkansas Board of Trustees flatly denied Bowden's candidacy almost immediately. With that knowledge, Bowden never had a leg to stand, which would have put Clemson back in the driver's seat. Because regardless of Long being in his corner, the Hog BoT is the controlling party that greenlights or redlights a potential head coach. Ergo, Bowden never stood a chance at being hired in Fayetteville regardless of his friendship with Long.
Posted by vmid on May 15 at 8:19 a.m.
I'm glad it all turned out the way it did! I think you will be too if you are a Clemson fan...enough said!
Posted by ashleyriver on May 15 at 8:42 a.m.
huj---I partially agree that the entire new contract/pressure from Arkansas thing didn't wash....I suppose its referred to as leverage in the business world. But the Arkansas Athletic Dept. was going thru such bizarre changes at the time with Broyles leaving, their coach under pressure, lawsuits threatened by fans, star players leaving, NCAA probation , etc--it wouldn't surprise me to find out a booster or someone (as assistant AD possibly) who wasn't washed away by that tsunami actually did make overtures to Coach Bowden.
Nonetheless, I think ultimately Dr.Phillips was correct in staying the course and giving Clemson something a ton of programs haven't had---stability. Still, while realizing college coaches salaries are out of control, until major goals are achieved under Coach Bowden's tenure I remain semi-skeptical about the salary AND the buyout.
(I do think the raises to the assistants were in order)
Posted by Chanticleer on May 15 at 8:57 a.m.
I have no problem with his contract or buyout. Perhaps Bowden was never really considered for the Arkansas job, but I think it was important to stop any talk of Bowden leaving because signing day was only 2 months away and had the speculation of Bowden leaving continued, some of these recruits may have been second guessing signing with the Tigers.
As far as him deserving this contract, I tend to look at how the program has developed since 1999 and what the market value is for someone like Bowden. Things could be worse, Clemson could be paying washed up coaches more money to play golf at Augusta while delivering 6-6 records and continually losing to their in-state rival.
Posted by lwilliams ( Larry Williams ) on May 15 at 9:34 a.m.
huj: I think you're mistaken when you say Bowden never stood a chance at being hired by Arkansas.
My information tells me this was a lot more than Bowden being helped out by an old buddy. Bowden had a copy of the contract in his hands, and a plane from Arkansas was waiting to whisk him to Fayetteville for an introductory press conference.
I seriously doubt this was all nothing more than an elaborate scheme devised by Long and Bowden. Because Long, after all, ultimately has to answer to the people of Arkansas.
Bowden had the leverage in his favor, and TDP knew it. That's why TDP relented and gave Bowden what he wanted.
I would agree with your statement about TDP not being happy about the way it all unfolded. Before this happened, 2008 was shaping up to be the year Bowden put up or shut up.
Essentially, Bowden was rewarded based on potential rather than production. His job is probably safe regardless of waht happens this season. And I can't imagine any AD, whether Terry Don or anyone else, would be ecstatic having his hand forced in that manner.
That said, Terry Don did the smart thing. The football program has lots of momentum right now, and that momentum would have been stunted had Bowden taken off for Arkansas. He probably would have taken plenty of coaches with him. And the ones he didn't take probably would have been too ticked off at Clemson to remain here.
The program would have been in good shape regardless. But it would have been hard to win a championship right away after that kind of upheaval.
When you consider all the positive things going on with the football program right now, it would have been hard for TDP to justify letting him go.
LW
Posted by huj on May 15 at 10:52 a.m.
I'm not saying there wasn't a contract and all those bells and whistles. I believe there was in fact, and I also believe he was en route to Arkansas (although I didn't know it was for a press conference). All I'm saying is that it was a well-known secret that the Ark BoT was not going to approve hiring Bowden regardless of what Long and Bowden were doing. I live out here in the middle of SEC-West country (unfortunately) and I can almost guarantee the hire was not going to happen given what everyone around here was saying. That's why I don't believe Bowden would've ever gotten hired on in Fayetteville.
I will agree with ashleyriver in that the assistants deserved raises and longer-term contracts. Those guys work enormously hard and, in my opinion, weren't paid enough. Not just at Clemson, but everywhere as a general rule. I was glad to see that come out of the wash.
Posted by lwilliams ( Larry Williams ) on May 15 at 11:58 a.m.
huj:
I don't think Long would have offered him the job if he didn't feel like he had the authority to do so.
I spoke with some folks who cover Arkansas during that saga, and none of them mentioned to me that the BOT was not going to approve his hiring. Their perception was that it was a done deal until Bowden decided to stay at Clemson.
LW
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