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News Nuggets, 12.03.03
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Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

Bowden locks in for long haul at Clemson

CLEMSON — Clemson coach Tommy Bowden says he isn't planning on going anywhere else and he's willing to back that promise with his own money. The coach agreed Tuesday to a three-year contract extension that will keep him with the Tigers until 2010.

To make sure the school and fans know how serious he is, Bowden agreed to unprecedented buyout clauses just as strict as the school's clauses, and he won't get a nickel more in salary.

"This is where I want to be the rest of my coaching career," said Bowden. The fifth-year coach had no hard feelings after enduring one of the craziest months any coach has gone through. On Nov. 1, fans at the Wake Forest game were chanting to have him fired after a 45-17 loss. On Monday, he was chosen ACC coach of the year.

In between, his Tigers convincingly beat then-No. 3 Florida State, Duke and South Carolina by a combined 129-34 to secure a Peach Bowl bid. That made Bowden the first ACC coach to lead his team to a bowl in each of his first five years.

While Tuesday was a renewal of vows of sorts — Bowden promising to be true to Clemson forever, while athletic director Terry DonPhillips said Bowden is our "head coach for the long-term" — the two men never shook hands in front of reporters or engaged each other despite sitting side-by-side on the podium. Instead, it was all business.

For the most part, Bowden's contract remains the same. He will get paid $1.1 million per year, with a chance to make an additional $300,000 based on incentives such as the number of wins each season and performance in bowl games.

But the biggest change came in the buyout clause. Bowden agreed to make the same commitment to Clemson as the school made to him. If Bowden is fired before 2005, Clemson will owe him $4 million. And if Bowden leaves on his own before then, he'll owe the school the same amount.

The buyout goes down to $3 million if there are four years left, $2.5 million if Bowden has more than two years but less than four years remaining and $500,000 if Bowden leaves or is fired with one or two years left on his contract.

Phillips said Bowden came up with the buyout idea, telling the athletic director, "I'll do the very same for Clemson University as they do for me and my family." Bowden said he researched the proposal and knows of no other coach in the country with a similar agreement.

With his future settled, Bowden said he will turn his attention to the Peach Bowl, where the Tigers will play a Southeastern Conference opponent — most likely Florida — and to recruiting. "We're just a player or two away from a BCS bowl game," Bowden said.

Four members of Gamecocks staff canned by Holtz

COLUMBIA — South Carolina coach Lou Holtz said Tuesday he fired four assistant coaches last week. Holtz said defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Chris Cosh, offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo, quarterbacks coach Todd Fitch and defensive backs coach John Gutekunst would not return next season.

"The manner in which this season ended was unacceptable," Holtz said in a news release. He said changes on the staff were necessary following the program's 5-7 season. The Gamecocks went from the Top 25 to giving up the most points ever to Clemson in a 63-17 drubbing on Nov 22.

Tulsa likely bowl foe for Yellow Jackets

TULSA — Tulsa accepted a conditional bid Tuesday to play Georgia Tech in the Humanitarian Bowl on Jan. 3. The bid is based on the Big 12 getting two teams in the Bowl Championship Series, as expected, meaning the conference won't have enough eligible teams to send a team to the bowl in Boise, ID.

The Golden Hurricane (8-4, 6-2 Western Athletic Conference) would be making its first bowl appearance since 1991. That was also the last time Tulsa had a winning season. Before this season, the Golden Hurricane had won only one of its last 22 games and, at one time, had a 17-game losing streak that was the longest in the nation.

"This is a great opportunity for our football team to get to play one more game," first-year Tulsa coach Steve Kragthorpe said. "This team is deserving of the opportunity to play in a bowl game."

Georgia Tech (6-6, 4-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) finished tied for fourth in the conference with North Carolina State and Virginia after a preseason poll predicted the Yellow Jackets would finish eighth, ahead of only Duke.

Martin follows Dosh out of Gators program

GAINESVILLE — Florida quarterback Ingle Martin has asked to be released from his scholarship so he can transfer to another school. Martin, from Nashville, TN, will be the second Florida quarterback to leave this year. Patrick Dosh transferred to East Carolina at the end of spring drills.

Gators coach Ron Zook confirmed Monday that Martin, who started for the first four games of the season before dropping to a backup role behind Chris Leak, wants to leave the program.

No. 16 Florida (8-4) will likely head into a bowl game with freshman Gavin Dickey as its backup. Dickey also considered transferring at the beginning of the season but decided to stay.

Martin could not be reached on Monday. He went 2-2 as a starter, completing 61 percent of his passes with three touchdowns and two interceptions while sharing time with Leak. But the redshirt sophomore never played again after Zook named Leak the full-time starter following a 24-10 loss to Tennessee.

Leak, a freshman out of Charlotte Independence, has led Florida to a 6-2 record, a three-way tie for first in the Southeastern Conference's Eastern Division and a likely January bowl game.

News Nuggets are compiled periodically from staff, ECU, Conference USA and its member schools, and from Associated Press and other reports. Copyright 2003 Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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