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ACC Football: How did the ACC become the nation’s premier conference?

By Justin Dottavio

TAMPA, FL - JANUARY 09: (EDITORS NOTE: Retransmission with alternate crop.) Head coach Dabo Swinney of the Clemson Tigers reacts during the first half against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship Game at Raymond James Stadium on January 9, 2017 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL - JANUARY 09: (EDITORS NOTE: Retransmission with alternate crop.) Head coach Dabo Swinney of the Clemson Tigers reacts during the first half against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship Game at Raymond James Stadium on January 9, 2017 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Jeff Gammons/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jeff Gammons/Getty Images) /

Head Coaches

When did the tide turn from the better-than-all SEC as the cream to the ACC being the conference to beat? I would have to say the first domino to fall was Jimbo Fisher. Coach Fisher came to FSU in 2007 just missing a chance at a national title with LSU. Fisher instead became a ‘coach in waiting’ under legend Bobby Bowden. In 2010, Fisher became the head coach and in 2013 he won the national championship with Heisman winner Jameis Winston at Quarterback.

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Before Jimbo became the coach-in-waiting at FSU, the ACC was getting “also ran” type coaches. Miami had settled for career assistants like Larry Coker and Randy Shannon before going after Temple head coach Al Golden. A far cry from 2016’s big move to bring in Mark Richt who won 10 games like it was just supposed to happen. Golden now coaches TE’s for the Lions, and Shannon has been an assistant ever since. Coker was charged with starting the UTSA program and was fired, after he left they became viable.

The discovery of Dabo Swinney

In the mid 2000’s, Clemson saw Tommy Bowden resign midseason and promoted Dabo Swinney. Dabo hadn’t done much at the time and was seen as a laughable hire. Rival South Carolina had Steve Spurrier and other rival FSU had Jimbo taking over. Yet Clemson had to settle for Dabo. Dabo went 6-7 in 2011 before running off a string of 10+ win seasons before losing the title game in 2015 and winning it all in 2016.

Duke took cast off David Cutcliff whose career was seen as all but over. Then there’s Georgia Tech. The Jackets hire Flexbone option guru Paul Johnson. PJ was coming to Tech from football juggernaut Navy. 

Needless to say, by the late 2000’s the ACC was in trouble. Then Georgia Tech upsets Miami and wins 10 games in 2009. From there 2013 is the ACC’s new day. Cutcliff pushes lowly Duke to 10-4, Clemson wins the Orange Bowl, and FSU wins a national title and Jameis wins the Heisman. ACC schools were landing up and comers instead of retreads. Dave Clawson comes off a 10-3 season at Bowling Green in 2013 to take over Wake Forest in 2014. In 2014, Paul Johnson wins the Orange Bowl after an 11-3 season and an upset over FSU.

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