Former Athletic Director: Terry Don Phillips’ has two hands on this Chick-fil-A – USL mid-80s links

Glenn Guilbeau, Daily Advertiser, Dec. 31, 2012

ATLANTA – Terry Don Phillips should be given one of those huge reclining chairs with an ice chest underneath and a seat at the 50-yard line for tonight’s Chick-fil-A Bowl between No. 14 Clemson and No. 8 LSU.

The just-retired Clemson athletic director, who brought a successful business approach to Louisiana-Lafayette’s athletic director position from 1983-88, gave both Clemson coach Dabo Swinney and LSU coach Les Miles their first head coaching jobs in surprise moves. So far, so good on both counts.

With Clemson dropping to 3-3 after entering the 2008 season ranked No. 9 in the nation, coach Tommy Bowden was let go and Phillips hired Swinney – then a 38-year-old wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator – as interim head coach over more experienced candidates.

Swinney, a walk-on receiver on Alabama’s 1992 national championship team, proceeded to earn a head coaching scholarship by finishing 4-3 to get the job. He has gone 9-5, 6-7, 10-4 and 10-2 over the last four seasons. Clemson is enjoying back-to-back, 10-win seasons for the first time since 1990 and appears on the verge of reaching one more level.

In 2000 when he was Oklahoma State’s athletic director, Phillips fired head coach Bob Simmons after three straight losing seasons. He then hired a relatively obscure tight ends coach from the Dallas Cowboys to be his head coach. Coaching tight ends is entry level in the NFL, but Phillips thought highly of Miles when he was offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State under Simmons from 1995-97.

Both Swinney and Miles came from good stock. Swinney played for Gene Stallings at Alabama and was then a graduate assistant and assistant coach under him. Miles played for and coached under Bo Schembechler at Michigan and was an assistant to Bill McCartney at Colorado. Over the last two seasons, Swinney and Miles are a combined 43-9. They square off tonight.

"It’s an honor to be up here with Coach Miles," Swinney said at a press conference Sunday. "All we need is Terry." Miles seconded that.

"He took a chance on two assistant coaches," Miles said. "He said we’re going to see if you can become a head coach. We’re both very much indebted to him, and we would like to say thanks."

At halftime, Phillips will be honored as one of the Chick-fil-A Bowl’s newest Hall of Fame members. Regardless of tonight’s outcome, he can’t lose. (taken in part of the story on Phillips).

Athletic Network Footnote:

Click here for 1983 story when Terry Don Phillips was hired as the new AD at USL replacing Mel Didier.

Click here for the 1984 story on progress during Phillips first year.