Some Clemson fans probably laugh at the notion of getting all worked up over South Carolina, and it's hard to blame them.
Doesn't take much research to discover that it really hasn't been much of a rivalry lately.
Even though the Gamecocks pasted the Tigers last November in Columbia, Clemson fans have plenty of ammo to quiet down any smack talk.
There's the overall record (65-38-4, in favor of Clemson).
There's the last 13 years (10 Clemson victories).
There's the history since 1975 (24 Clemson victories, eight for USC).
And there's the most damning stat of all:
The last time South Carolina beat Clemson in back-to-back years, the Beatles were still together (technically, at least).
Nineteen-seventy. Think about that for a moment.
Anyway, this is a long and rambling way of saying Clemson fans can be forgiven for being totally dismissive of their rivals down in Columbia. Until the Gamecocks actually win back-to-back games in the rivalry, Tigers fans are perfectly reasonable to not break a sweat.
There are reasons, though, to pay close attention to what is going on down there. The main reason is South Carolina's membership in the SEC, an affiliation that became enormously profitable with the gargantuan television deals the conference signed with ESPN and CBS (in case you haven't heard, it's $3 billion over 15 years).
This means the Gamecocks have a lot more money than they used to have. And that's something Clemson should take very seriously, despite the one-sidedness of on-field meetings between these two.
The salaries for South Carolina's nine assistants were released this week, so it's a perfect opportunity to compare the money both schools are devoting to their football staffs.
When news broke a few months ago that defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson doubled his salary after a flirtation with Tennessee (from $350,000 to $700,000), Clemson fans reacted with justified concern given that their defensive coordinator, Kevin Steele, also flirted with Tennessee but received a raise of "only" $200,000 to $575,000 annually.
Regardless of that high-profile disparity, Clemson actually comes out of a salary comparison looking quite good.
After doling out $495,000 in raises for its nine assistants, Clemson is paying a total of $2.3 million for it assistant coaching staff. That's an increase of 27.7 percent, according to my math.
South Carolina is paying its assistants a total of $2.15 million after shelling out $320,000 worth of raises (17.4 percent).
It should be noted that the Gamecocks' departed offensive line coach, Eric Wolford, made $250,000 per year. His replacement, Shawn Elliott, is making $150,000 annually. But that detail isn't all that relevant when you're comparing how much dough two schools devote to their coaching staffs.
As far as head-coaching numbers go, both Dabo Swinney and Steve Spurrier are making $1.75 million.
Of course, there are plenty other measuring sticks and areas where South Carolina could be spending more. And in light of all that as I've already mentioned in the blog, there should be concern about Clemson's ability to compete as coaching salaries soar even further.
But as of now, it looks like Clemson has stepped up to the plate when it comes to paying its coaches.
Here's a look at how much the assistants are paid, in order of descending salary:
Coach $$$$$$$
Steele/Johnson 575/700
Harbison/Ward 325/275
Napier/Lawing 275/210
B Scott/Spur Jr. 220/200
Brooks/Beamer 210/180
Pearman/Elliott 210/150
Powell/Mangus 180/150
Rumph/Graham 180/142.5
J. Scott/Hunter 130/142.5
The Prowl and Growl tour made a stop in Aiken earlier this week, and here's an account from the Aiken Standard.
Two notable quotes from Swinney:
"I thought we accomplished our objective this spring, which was to develop some depth. I really wanted us to become a smarter team, and I think we proved that we are that. We got a lot of things done. We got (backup quarterback) Tajh Boyd a lot of work, and our kicking game was improved. We only had one major injury, so it was a good spring. The big thing now is to sit back and wait to see what happens with Kyle Parker."
And this:
"He makes us a more explosive team early. He's played 14 games and done a lot of things. He's a confident, seasoned guy. Without him, we'll have to be a little more creative and get some 13-10, 7-6 wins. With Kyle, we're a little more explosive."
Speaking of Parker, former Clemson beat writer Paul Strelow wrote a good article on KP for Baseball America. It's a premium piece, but here are some standout snippets:
He leads the ACC in home runs (16), while ranking in the top five in slugging (.764), on-base percentage (.506) and top 10 in batting (.386) out of the cleanup spot.
Last week, Parker became the first athlete in NCAA history to tally 20 touchdown passes and 15 homers in the same academic season. Only Southern California's Rodney Peete (1987-88) and Oklahoma State's Josh Fields (2003-04) had come close, each eclipsing 10 homers.
"The big question with him," an AL crosschecker said, "is how much does it cost to buy him out?"
The one concrete answer: A lot more than folks might have presumed before spring football began last year.
And more...
From the pro perspective, there were also concerns about Parker's defensive position.
Parker has spent the majority of the last 1 1/2 seasons as the starting right fielder, logging a few games at first base this season out of necessity. He played middle infield and dabbled at catcher in high school but was unable to stick at third base during a nine-game trial in his freshman season.
Leggett recalls his surprise that Parker's arm and running ability didn't initially translate on the baseball field. But he believes Parker has made significant strides in those two departments as well as in tracking fly balls, and some scouts have suggested Parker could have a home as a left fielder. Others remain interested in experimenting with Parker in the infield.
"I've talked with some other guys about it," the crosschecker said. "Look at a lot of guys that have played QB (a list that includes Adam Dunn and Todd Helton). There's not too many that can throw a baseball like they can throw a football.
"He was bad for me last year. The approach wasn't there, and it affected his defense. This year I've seen a more mature player, a guy who's shown the ability to be a little more selective. I would say he's got a chance to be a left-field power bat with a chance to hit—I could see 20-25 home runs, hitting between .250 and .270, .280. The approach is there. I've seen him make adjustments to breaking balls. He's strong as an ox. You look at the fact that he's never had a summer or fall to concentrate on baseball."
Mistuh College Football likes Florida State in the Atlantic Division this season. Back when the ACC expanded, who'd have predicted the Noles would make one ACC title-game appearance in the first five years of its existence?
Looks like Oliver Purnell has found a replacement for Kevin Nickelberry, who had a latte at DePaul before bolting for Howard.
DePaul men's basketball coach Oliver Purnell announced today that Brian Ellerbe has joined the staff as an assistant coach. Ellerbe comes to DePaul after serving as an assistant coach last season at George Washington.
"Brian's wealth of experience and credentials are impeccable," said Purnell. "Not only is he an outstanding basketball coach, he is an outstanding person. In the 30 years I've know Brian, he has recruited, mentored and developed student-athletes at the highest levels of basketball."
Ellerbe served as head coach at Michigan from 1997-01 and Loyola (Md.) from 1994-97. He also made stops as an assistant coach at Bowling Green (1986-88), George Mason (1988-89), South Carolina (1989-90) and Virginia (1990-94).
Speaking of Nickelberry, here's the story on his arrival at Howard.
"I've always dreamed about coming back home," said Nickelberry, a Washington, D.C., native. "Howard has been one of those jobs … it's where I'm from, and it's always had a special place. My parents met at Howard and were married at Howard. I was a first-time Division I assistant at Howard. It meant so much to me and my family."
Nickelberry, a former Clemson assistant who spent last season as coach of the Libyan national team, said he'd accepted a job on former Tigers and new DePaul coach Oliver Purnell's staff before getting a call from Howard. He met with Howard president Sidney Ribeau, athletic director Charles Gibbs and several Bison players before being offered the job.
"It all happened quick," Nickelberry said. "To say the least, it was a couple of whirlwind weeks."
Good story here on Big Ten expansion, and the following passage nails the essence of this issue:
Andrew Zimbalist is a sports economist at Smith College in Massachusetts. Despite his distaste for what he describes as the ever-increasing commercialization of college sports, he acknowledged the financial benefits that expansion could reap.
"Let's say in some of these areas you're getting a dollar a month (extra from cable subscribers for having the Big Ten Network)," Zimbalist said. "Each household is $12 a year. So if you add 3 million households, that's $36 million in revenue. On top of that, you'll get more revenue from advertising.
"Potentially, you could be talking tens of millions of dollars when you add a properly positioned team."
And Dennis Dodd is darned sick and tired of these spring game charades.
LW
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