I wanted to drop in my two cents on why I think this extension has come at a really opportune time. I've seen something like this take place before. Don't know why, but growing up in NJ I became a massive Clemson football fan. It seems so distant now but for awhile Clemson was stuck in a bit of a rut. I'm 24 and I never saw a 10-win season from Clemson until my senior year of high school. It was very Pitt-like... 6 wins, 8 wins, 5 wins, 9 wins, no real consistency. Then Dabo came along. His situation was different than Narduzzi since he joined mid-season, but if we count that as a season, during his third year the team went 6-7, a relatively significant fall from the 9-5 season in year 2. That year Kyle Parker was Clemson's QB, with some guy named Tajh Boyd sitting behind him as a true freshman. Dabo stuck it out with with Parker for most of the season, before going to a two-QB system in the bowl game and I believe in a few games prior as well. The next season Boyd led Clemson to their first 10-win season in 21 years and the rest is history.
My point here is that I think we are in a similar situation. I do not anticipate us becoming the next Clemson, because of course there are major factors to take into consideration. They're tops in the ACC in donor money and have a gameday atmosphere in Death Valley that can't be matched. But. We are entering a head coach's 4th season, followed by a disappointing regression in year 3 but a year that showed promise for the future with a young QB to build a team around moving forward. Idk if Pickett will be Tajh Boyd and lead us to 10-wins next season. Unfortunately he's not surrounded by the likes of D Hop and Andre Ellington. But to this day I credit the emergence of Tajh Boyd as the moment that transformed Clemson into the national power it is now. All from a similar crossroad that we are in right now.
I think the commitment to Narduzzi here is key. If Pickett can reach a potential many of the players, coaches and fans think he can reach, there is a chance we string together a combination of successful seasons with him under center. That would lead to improved recruiting, atmosphere, etc. I just thought I'd share the first parallel that came to my mind when the Narduzzi extension was reported. I think it's the perfect time to jump in and show him, we want you as our coach not only after the back-to-back 8-5 seasons, but after the 5-7 season as well. For better or for worse, that's our guy. H2P.
My point here is that I think we are in a similar situation. I do not anticipate us becoming the next Clemson, because of course there are major factors to take into consideration. They're tops in the ACC in donor money and have a gameday atmosphere in Death Valley that can't be matched. But. We are entering a head coach's 4th season, followed by a disappointing regression in year 3 but a year that showed promise for the future with a young QB to build a team around moving forward. Idk if Pickett will be Tajh Boyd and lead us to 10-wins next season. Unfortunately he's not surrounded by the likes of D Hop and Andre Ellington. But to this day I credit the emergence of Tajh Boyd as the moment that transformed Clemson into the national power it is now. All from a similar crossroad that we are in right now.
I think the commitment to Narduzzi here is key. If Pickett can reach a potential many of the players, coaches and fans think he can reach, there is a chance we string together a combination of successful seasons with him under center. That would lead to improved recruiting, atmosphere, etc. I just thought I'd share the first parallel that came to my mind when the Narduzzi extension was reported. I think it's the perfect time to jump in and show him, we want you as our coach not only after the back-to-back 8-5 seasons, but after the 5-7 season as well. For better or for worse, that's our guy. H2P.
