As part of Tigerillustrated.com's lengthy 25th anniversary series uncovering untold stories over that stretch of time, we continue with a glimpse back at the transformative days of 2008. Two days after a dominant victory over South Carolina that sealed the removal of the interim tag from his title, Dabo Swinney was introduced at a press conference on the third floor of the West End Zone facility. This is the uncut digital audio from that press conference, provided by Jeff Kallin and Matt Glenn of the Clemson Athletics Department. Terry Don Phillips drew an ovation toward the end of the press c ..read more

As part of Tigerillustrated.com's extensive unearthing of the history that led to Dabo Swinney becoming the figure who would transform not just a football program but an entire community, we take a glimpse back to the two-month period in 2008 when everything changed. We present the audio from some key moments during that timeline: -- The introduction of Swinney as interim coach on Oct. 13, 2008, when Tommy Bowden suggested a change to AD Terry Don Phillips and Phillips shocked many by elevating a receivers coach who had no head-coaching or coordinating experience; -- The coach's show that foll ..read more

Patrick Sapp played football at Clemson, and now he's watching his 19-year-old son Josh play football at Clemson. What makes it most special is Patrick's 7-year-old son Miles gets to watch it all as the family makes memories of a lifetime. Sapp rejoins The Dubcast to talk about his six years on the football staff at Greenville High School, and why he chose to give it up after last season. Sapp's role as a television personality is going to increase moving forward as he contributes to FOX Carolina in various ways. Sapp also keeps close tabs on Clemson football, and he was in attendance when Tre ..read more

Jerome Hall is less busy than he used to be, having given up his job as a college referee a year ago after 20 years. Yet he still teaches at RD Anderson Applied Technology Center from 8 AM to 3 PM each weekday, instructing high school students in carpentry and officiating. Four days a week, he leaves school at 3 and heads straight to the courthouse and works until 7 as a magistrate for the Spartanburg County court system. And somehow he still found a way to follow his son PJ in his final season at Clemson, which of course included recent trips to Memphis and Los Angeles as the Tigers made a st ..read more

Had he not chosen the coaching profession, Cliff Ellis could've easily spent his life as a professional musician. In the mid-1960s, his group The Villagers was a sensation and even recorded at the legendary Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, Ala. Ellis remembers joining Roy Orbison on stage at a sold-out concert in Dothan, Ala. "If you can perform in front of people with Roy Orbison behind you, you're going to be OK going up against Dean Smith and Mike Krzyzewski," he said. Ellis announced his retirement in December, ending a 49-year coaching career. His final 17 seasons were at Coastal Carolina ..read more

Tommy West has decided it's time to hang up his whistle after more than four decades in the coaching profession. "It's a young man's game now," said the 69-year-old West, who was on Rick Stockstill's fired staff at Middle Tennessee State. West has kept busy playing golf and taking care of his yard. He says the biggest question is how he'll find the fulfillment that came when he experienced success through grinding away as a coach and recruiter. West goes in-depth on his time at Clemson as an assistant under Danny Ford, and as the Tigers' head coach from 1993 to 1998. Clemson was trying to figu ..read more

A decade ago, Thad Turnipseed left Alabama to join Dabo Swinney at Clemson and played a major role in turning the Tigers' football program into a cutting-edge operation on numerous levels. Turnipseed, who spent 18 months at Oklahoma under Brent Venables, returned to Clemson with his family last summer and is currently spending most of his time in real estate. Turnipseed, who recently became a grandfather, joins The Dubcast to reflect on the glory days at Clemson and whether Swinney can get the Tigers back to the top. He also expresses great concern about the state of college football and where ..read more

Dabo Swinney sits down to discuss the progress of his team a week into spring practice. Swinney reflects on the talent of freshman receiver Bryant Wesco and what he could bring to an offense in desperate need of playmaking. Cade Klubnik enters Year 2 as the starter feeling more comfortable in the second year running Garrett Riley's offense. Klubnik believes the Tigers are going to have weapons galore on the outside to make the offense truly lethal for the first time since Trevor Lawrence and other superstars were in the program. Clemson's spring game is April 6.     ..read more

Last week, Gene Sapakoff announced he's leaving The Post and Courier after 38 years at the Charleston newspaper. One of the strange elements of his departure: The leadership at the paper hasn't given him an opportunity to write a farewell column in the sports section that featured his mug shot since the 1980s. Sapakoff joins The Dubcast to reflect on when and why he chose to hang it up, and what his next chapter looks like. He also shares a wealth of anecdotes and memories of covering the biggest names in the Palmetto State's sports history. He recalls getting cussed at by Danny Ford when he w ..read more

In many ways, the media and journalism industry has become almost totally disfigured over the past two decades. Yet inside Clemson's Sports Communication program there are students who find a multitude of ways to distinguish themselves. Grayson Mann is a senior who has spent his time at college starting his own podcast, writing for Tigerillustrated.com, doing video play-by-play for North Greenville basketball, and covering high school games for a local newspaper. Toby Corriston is a freshman who has already developed quite a portfolio of photography, writing and stand-up video he does on his o ..read more