Dabo Swinney details plan for new coaches for bowl game

Mark Rebilas - USA Today Sports (Photo: Mark Rebilas / USATODAY)

by Tony Crumpton - Assoc. Editor - Tue Dec 12 13:17:26 GMT-04:00 2023

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney met with the media Tuesday previewing the Gator Bowl and had an update on his new coaching hires.

Swinney is ecstatic about Chris Rumph and Matt Luke, and they are both happy to be in TigerTown.

"Really excited about Chris and Matt coming in and their families. These are two really experienced, two great coaches that I think just check every box for us," Swinney said. "And it’s been a good start. A lot of stuff going on for them, too. But Chris and I go way back, as you know, and super excited for him to be back. And this is a different Clemson than the one he left in 2010. So he’s excited to be back here. And then Matt, as he told me, this is probably the only job he would have taken."

Swinney confirmed that the new hires will be coaching at the bowl game and will get help on the terminology from other assistants.

"So I think a lot of excitement there, getting off to a good start," Swinney said. "And this is a huge opportunity during bowl prep for them to get acclimated a little bit and start that relationship process and just setting the foundation and learn a little bit. You got to learn to play. You got to learn terminology. There’s a lot going on for them, too. So how to speak the language. But this is a big time for us. We’ll get a lot of work on Kentucky. We’ll get a lot of work on Clemson. We’ll get a lot of fundamental technical work."

Swinney knows that the veteran coaches will be fine during this quick transition.

"But these are veteran guys," Swinney said. "I mean, Chris Rumph, he knows what a tech stunt is. He knows on this call, we’re in a nine technique or we’re in a seven. He understands all that. But how do we get to that? So we got people that help them, tell them, translate. Just like you watch baseball, you got guys that interview them right after the game, and they’re from another country, don’t speak English or whatever. And so they got somebody translating. That’s what’s happening."