Back in January of 2012, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney faced one of the biggest decisions of his young coaching career as he looked for a defensive coordinator to replace Kevin Steele. One long phone call changed the direction of the Clemson program and turned into Swinney’s best hire.
The decision followed the decision to part with Kevin Steele after three seasons and one of the program's worst defensive performances, as Clemson suffered an embarrassing 70-33 loss to West Virginia in the Discover Orange Bowl. The 70 points were the most points scored by a team in any bowl game.