THE WEST ZONE message board | SHOP NOW: DEALS on CLEMSON apparel

In late 2012 and early 2013, there was some natural uneasiness as Dabo Swinney began to develop a relationship with his new athletics director.

He had known Dan Radakovich when he was the AD at Georgia Tech, and they got along fine. But during the search for Terry Don Phillips' replacement, Swinney had privately campaigned for longtime administrator Bill D'Andrea.

When you lose the man who had the audacity to promote you to head coach, and to stick by you during turbulent times in 2010, it's going to bring at least a little apprehension when they hire someone from outside to be your boss.

But those uncertain feelings melted away in early 2013 when coach and AD sat down for a lengthy visit. Swinney's program was coming off an 11-win season and the monumental triumph over LSU in the Chick-fil-A Bowl, so these were heady times even if they aren't in the galaxy of today's heady times.