A radio talk show host believes South Carolina’s Shane Beamer is ahead of Clemson’s Dabo Swinney when comparing how each coach’s tenure began at their respective schools.
Marc Ryan said on “Offsides with Marc Ryan” on ESPNUpstate that Beamer is “pacing ahead” ahead of Swinney right now after leading the Gamecocks to a 7-6 record in his first season in Columbia.
“He’s pacing ahead of him right now,” Ryan said. “Both were 7-6 through their first 13 games, but Shane Beamer did it in taking over a program that was more of a dumpster fire than the one Dabo did.”
The problem with Ryan’s argument is, Swinney was not 7-6 through the first 13 games of his first full season as Clemson’s head coach in 2009. The Tigers went 8-5 through the first 13 games that season and finished the season 9-5.
Then, after a 6-7 season in 2010, Swinney and the Tigers went 10-4 in 2011, beginning their current streak of 11 straight 10-plus-win seasons.
Ryan talked about what he thinks Beamer must do to continue “tracking ahead” of Swinney, breaking it down in 13-game increments, but doesn’t have his facts straight.
“What did Dabo Swinney do in his second 13 games as Clemson head coach? He went 8-5,” Ryan said. “His second 13 games took place second half of 2009, first half of 2010. Shane Beamer, just track 8-5 for the next 13, and you will be still tracking ahead of Dabo Swinney. … 8-4. If you can win the bowl game, 9-4, you’re a tick above that. How about Dabo’s third set of 13 games at Clemson? This would take you from middle of the 2010 season to middle of the 2011 season. His third set of 13 games at Clemson, 8-5. You’re seeing how very possible it is for Shane Beamer to continue to pace ahead of what Dabo did and do so in a far more difficult conference.
“So, certainly this changes here, right. Certainly this changes right here. The fourth set of 13 games for Dabo Swinney at Clemson, and the record was… 8-5. Dabo Swinney went 7-6 in his first 13 games at Clemson, 8-5 in his second 13 games, 8-5 in his third 13 games, and 8-5 in his fourth set of 13 games at Clemson University. In the fifth set, he was 12-1 and then Clemson was off and running. The fifth set was in between the 2012 and 2013 seasons. But Dabo went 7-6 in the first 13 games, 8-5 in the second 13 games, 8-5 in the third 13 games, and 8-5 in the fourth 13 games.”
Ryan summed it all up, adding, “Moral of the story – Shane Beamer is off to a hell of a start.”
“He’s got quite a bit of time – 39 games – to just pace at 8-5 to still be considered pacing ahead of Dabo Swinney,” Ryan said. “How ‘bout that?”
.@MarcRyanOnAir says Shane Beamer is ahead of even Dabo Swinney when you compare how each coach's tenure began at Clemson and SC. He proves it with evidence. #SpursUphttps://t.co/xVJDBGOEd6
— ESPNUpstate (@ESPNUpstate) January 6, 2022
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