Why ex-NFL coaches are happy at Clemson despite NIL, transfer portal challenges
By Jon Blau jblau@postandcourier.com
Published Sun Jul 21, 2024 6:00 AM EDT
CLEMSON — As defensive ends coach Chris Rumph sat in front of a solid-orange wall in Clemson's football facility, his mere presence seemed like a contradiction.
The 52-year-old Rumph returned in December for a second stint at Clemson, ditching the NFL after a handful of years there. He did this despite a developing narrative that name, image, and likeness (NIL) money and the transfer portal have created such chaos, college coaches would rather be in the NFL.
"No, it's not overblown," Rumph said with a chuckle. "I have some buddies from some other places, and they're miserable. Making a whole lotta money with a whole lot of miserable."
He can laugh, because Rumph believes Clemson is different.
Some want to call Dabo Swinney's methods outdated, but not offering hundreds of recruits scholarships — and only offering them as juniors and seniors — narrows a position coach's focus on the trail. Not overemphasizing NIL in a recruiting pitch seems to have helped Clemson with roster retention, because, as Rumph says, "If you come for money, you'll leave for money."
Because most starters don't leave, Clemson doesn't add via the portal.
"I've got a lot of friends around," Rumph said, "and there's not a lot of people that are doing it the way that Coach Swinney is doing it."
It remains to be seen if Swinney's approach can return Clemson to the top of college football in the NIL era. It could be argued that refusing to upgrade the roster with veteran transfers shrinks the Tigers' margin for error in identifying and developing talent from the prep ranks.
Swinney also pulled Matt Luke, and his SEC head- and assistant-coaching experience, out from a two-year hiatus to manage the offensive line. Luke is complimentary of his last boss, Georgia's Kirby Smart, but he has heaped praise on Swinney since his arrival in December.
"I would say that from the outside looking in, you're like, man, is that really real?" Luke said of Clemson's culture. "Being here, I would say 100 percent, real and authentic — and not being scared to do it the way that you've done it."
Swinney won two national championships in three years, but family members of coaches and players are still allowed to be on the sideline at practice. He spends ample time talking about his P.A.W. Journey program, which creates mentorship and internship opportunities for his players.
It's not that Swinney is against NIL, because he was also behind the construction of the Clemson Athletics Branding Institute, or "CAB," which is attached to the football facility. He just isn't willing to stray away from the culture he's fostered, centered on education and personal development.
Some athletes, and some coaches, are still drawn to it.
"People think just because a guy doesn't come close to us it's because of NIL," Swinney said. "That is the case sometimes, for sure, but that's not always the case. Sometimes there's other great programs, there's other great coaches and people, and sometimes it's a better fit for them somewhere else."
Swinney's approach makes some fans nervous, and it offers his critics ammunition. But his assistants seem to admire his principles.
For Swinney's part, handing out fewer offers is about being honest with recruits and not telling them they have a guaranteed scholarship when they don't. But Rumph thinks again about his fellow coaches, crisscrossing the country to recruit hundreds of athletes with flimsy offers.
Rumph likes Clemson's "sniper" approach, as he puts it, "shooting shots" on a select few. They are well compensated for their aim, because Rumph and Eason each earn over $1 million a year. But they aren't overly taxed.
"Nick gets calls every week for jobs, NFL jobs, jobs at other colleges," Rumph said, "and he just turns it down."
Rumph hasn't elaborated much on why he left the Vikings last season, simply saying he realized the importance of being around the right people when he returned to his roots; he coached d-lineman at Clemson from 2006-10.
He was inspired from the moment he stepped on campus, coaching with intensity as he loudly demanded his edge rushers be "the hammer, not the nail."
Rumph knows pros who have saved their money, others who blew it all. He's had some call in to offer Clemson's athletes advice. Eason, who played and coached in the NFL, layers on wisdom.
"I say, 'Man, if you hang out with chickens, you're gonna cluck. If you hang with eagles, you'll fly,'" Eason said. "I mean, every day is about accountability. It's about food for thought. It's about academics. And it's also about just making great decisions.
"If you save your money and you manage it well, I mean, you can be set for life. Imagine leaving college and you had a nest egg of $500,000 to $1 million sitting there waiting on you?"
These are ex-NFL coaches who can sell the NFL dream to recruits. At that same time, they know 98 percent of college players won't make the next level.
They, themselves, could probably find work in the NFL. But they prefer Clemson.
"I talk to my friends, and I'm telling them our schedule, and how we're doing things, and they're blown away," Rumph said. "They're like, 'Man, if anybody ever leaves, hey, I want to be there.'"
By Jon Blau jblau@postandcourier.com
Published Sun Jul 21, 2024 6:00 AM EDT
CLEMSON — As defensive ends coach Chris Rumph sat in front of a solid-orange wall in Clemson's football facility, his mere presence seemed like a contradiction.
The 52-year-old Rumph returned in December for a second stint at Clemson, ditching the NFL after a handful of years there. He did this despite a developing narrative that name, image, and likeness (NIL) money and the transfer portal have created such chaos, college coaches would rather be in the NFL.
Is the story being told about NIL, the portal, and the unwieldy world of college football overblown?"No, it's not overblown," Rumph said with a chuckle. "I have some buddies from some other places, and they're miserable. Making a whole lotta money with a whole lot of miserable."
He can laugh, because Rumph believes Clemson is different.
Some want to call Dabo Swinney's methods outdated, but not offering hundreds of recruits scholarships — and only offering them as juniors and seniors — narrows a position coach's focus on the trail. Not overemphasizing NIL in a recruiting pitch seems to have helped Clemson with roster retention, because, as Rumph says, "If you come for money, you'll leave for money."
Because most starters don't leave, Clemson doesn't add via the portal.
"I've got a lot of friends around," Rumph said, "and there's not a lot of people that are doing it the way that Coach Swinney is doing it."
It remains to be seen if Swinney's approach can return Clemson to the top of college football in the NIL era. It could be argued that refusing to upgrade the roster with veteran transfers shrinks the Tigers' margin for error in identifying and developing talent from the prep ranks.
But Swinney's philosophies have, at the very least, appealed to assistants who can recruit and develop. Rumph has paired with another ex-NFL coach, Nick Eason, to pull four top-100 defensive line recruits in the 2025 class, including four-star edge rushers Ari Watford and Bryce Davis.Swinney also pulled Matt Luke, and his SEC head- and assistant-coaching experience, out from a two-year hiatus to manage the offensive line. Luke is complimentary of his last boss, Georgia's Kirby Smart, but he has heaped praise on Swinney since his arrival in December.
"I would say that from the outside looking in, you're like, man, is that really real?" Luke said of Clemson's culture. "Being here, I would say 100 percent, real and authentic — and not being scared to do it the way that you've done it."
Swinney won two national championships in three years, but family members of coaches and players are still allowed to be on the sideline at practice. He spends ample time talking about his P.A.W. Journey program, which creates mentorship and internship opportunities for his players.
It's not that Swinney is against NIL, because he was also behind the construction of the Clemson Athletics Branding Institute, or "CAB," which is attached to the football facility. He just isn't willing to stray away from the culture he's fostered, centered on education and personal development.
Some athletes, and some coaches, are still drawn to it.
"People think just because a guy doesn't come close to us it's because of NIL," Swinney said. "That is the case sometimes, for sure, but that's not always the case. Sometimes there's other great programs, there's other great coaches and people, and sometimes it's a better fit for them somewhere else."
"If NIL is 'the' factor, we're probably not going to get them," Swinney added. "If it's 'a' factor, hey, we've got as good a shot as anybody."Swinney's approach makes some fans nervous, and it offers his critics ammunition. But his assistants seem to admire his principles.
For Swinney's part, handing out fewer offers is about being honest with recruits and not telling them they have a guaranteed scholarship when they don't. But Rumph thinks again about his fellow coaches, crisscrossing the country to recruit hundreds of athletes with flimsy offers.
Rumph likes Clemson's "sniper" approach, as he puts it, "shooting shots" on a select few. They are well compensated for their aim, because Rumph and Eason each earn over $1 million a year. But they aren't overly taxed.
"Nick gets calls every week for jobs, NFL jobs, jobs at other colleges," Rumph said, "and he just turns it down."
Rumph hasn't elaborated much on why he left the Vikings last season, simply saying he realized the importance of being around the right people when he returned to his roots; he coached d-lineman at Clemson from 2006-10.
He was inspired from the moment he stepped on campus, coaching with intensity as he loudly demanded his edge rushers be "the hammer, not the nail."
Rumph can teach the game, because he's coached pros. But he returns to Clemson at an interesting time, given college athletes are now dealing with financial literacy as NFL players do.Rumph knows pros who have saved their money, others who blew it all. He's had some call in to offer Clemson's athletes advice. Eason, who played and coached in the NFL, layers on wisdom.
"I say, 'Man, if you hang out with chickens, you're gonna cluck. If you hang with eagles, you'll fly,'" Eason said. "I mean, every day is about accountability. It's about food for thought. It's about academics. And it's also about just making great decisions.
"If you save your money and you manage it well, I mean, you can be set for life. Imagine leaving college and you had a nest egg of $500,000 to $1 million sitting there waiting on you?"
These are ex-NFL coaches who can sell the NFL dream to recruits. At that same time, they know 98 percent of college players won't make the next level.
They, themselves, could probably find work in the NFL. But they prefer Clemson.
"I talk to my friends, and I'm telling them our schedule, and how we're doing things, and they're blown away," Rumph said. "They're like, 'Man, if anybody ever leaves, hey, I want to be there.'"
