A mere wall separated Charley Pell’s postgame press conference from the high-decibel jubilation of Clemson’s locker room beneath the west end zone stands of Memorial Stadium.
The assembled scribes and talking heads had trouble hearing the coach as he gave his thoughts on a 41-23 smashing of rival South Carolina. On multiple occasions, he was interrupted by the joyful eruptions of his players and coaches next door.
“There’s a volume you can’t turn down,” Pell told the reporters.
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The volume outside the stadium was equally amplified as fans returned to their tailgates toasting the accomplishments of Pell and the Tigers. The magic of 1977 had given way to dominance in 1978, and Clemson was on top of the world with a 10-win season, an ACC title secured a week earlier with a win at Maryland, and a trip to the Gator Bowl.
Pell took over a team that had won a total of five games under Red Parker in 1975 and 1976. And now he was looking back on an 18-4-1 record in his first two years. It was a giddy, gleeful time for Clemson fans who’d endured years of mediocrity and worse before this stumble upon good fortune.
“This will go down in history as one of the greatest Clemson seasons ever,” Pell said in that press conference. “Today was a great victory. It concludes one of the most rewarding seasons I’ve ever been associated with. Twenty-five great seniors going out with a convincing victory over a good South Carolina team.”
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Clemson faithful were partying like it was 1959, which happened to be the last time they’d tasted such success. Pell, the Alabama boy who’d taught these Clemson boys how to win, was beloved.
A chronicling of this unrestrained ecstasy is necessary to achieve a proper understanding of the unrestrained grief that was right around the corner.
Less than a week later, a report out of Orlando said Pell was interested in the head-coaching vacancy at Florida. Kerry Capps, Clemson beat writer for The Greenville News, contacted Pell and the coach told him the report was “a damn lie.”
A day later, Pell acknowledged he was planning on talking with Florida. The Gators had parted ways with Doug Dickey, and Arkansas coach Lou Holtz was the front-runner before changing his mind and deciding to remain with the Razorbacks.
By the morning of Monday, Dec. 4, Pell was interviewing with Florida president Robert Marston at Greenville-Spartanburg Airport. The night before, Pell had assured Tigers athletics director Bill McLellan that he was staying at Clemson.
Before noon Monday, Pell told McLellan he was gone.
“I have never been more shocked in my life,” McLellan told reporters. “I just didn’t believe it would happen.”
