This is a blog I took from the Clemson message board website. It's about a coach that took a job at West Virginia, then decided that he didn't want to leave Clemson. It gave me chills.
Why Come Back?I was asked yesterday, “Why did Ron West come back to Clemson after taking the West Virginia job?”
The question came from a friend in his middle 40s who went to Clemson, moved away and since returned to live and work here.
Never answer a question with a question but I could not resist. “Why did you come back?” I inquired.
“Yeah but he turned down more money,” he then retracted and added “So did I.”
In fact he turned down a better title, much like my friend.
I have been waiting to write a fluffy, feel good blog but now it is pretty timely. Ron West came back to Clemson because it is Clemson.
Joe Sherman claimed, “There’s Something In These Hills.” I believe it. My friend believed it. In fact, most of my Clemson friends believe it and apparently Ron West believes it.
I moved back to Clemson at the age of 37 and after living here for 18 months I ask myself all of the time, “Why did it take you this long to get back here?”
Clemson is not perfect and we have a lot of things we can improve upon. This is not a national title contender at this time and the program has not been what it was 18 years ago. But I found it amazing that coaches love to come here. I find it more amazing that they do not want to leave once they get here. And I find it even more amazing that many think about coming back to retire here after their coaching days are over.
Assistants leave in their pursuit of a head coaching positions but how many coaches have left Clemson as a head coach to take another position? Press Maravich left for a better basketball job at NC State and soon turned it into the head coaching post at LSU. Rick Barnes also left for Texas. Charlie Pell left for Florida. I can’t remember anyone else. I don’t count John Heisman, Josh Cody or Jess Neely because we did not have the lake yet and our town was much different then.
Quite frankly coaches love coaching here. They love the size of the town. They love the schools. They love the lake. They love the mountains. They love the campus and the community. Perhaps more importantly, their wives love it and we all know that no one is happy if momma is not happy.
At one point in time I have had assistant coaches like Woody McCorvey, Ellis Johnson, Tommy West, Miles Aldridge, Rick Stockstill, Burton Burns and a few other tell me their happiest years in coaching were at Clemson. Burns told me last week that his family may consider keeping their house and maybe retiring here one day.
Speaking of coaches retiring and returning to Clemson, that is exactly what Larry van der Hayden, Whitey Jordan and Lawson Holland have done. Danny Ford kept his farm after the stint at Arkansas because he knew he wanted to return home. I don’t think Bill Wilhelm and Jim Davis ever considered leaving after their coaching days ended.
If Sherman was wrong then why are people coming back in record numbers? My friend Tom Winkopp laid it out beautifully for me when he explained why his projects are so successful. Real estate is about location, location, location and apparently Clemson is a grea location. Winkopp projects sellout many times before construction is completed.
National advertising works for the Cliffs communities because of the area. I was shocked to find out that many of the multi-million dollar homes being sold on Keowee, Jocassee and Hartwell are third homes. I can barely afford my one home but people are doing well to afford these third homes. I am not Donald Trump or Tom Winkopp but it does not take a genius to get the idea that people don’t buy third homes in common, everyday settings.
How many towns or cities have a lake downtown like we do at Clemson?
But its not just the lake and mountains.
Where else does a cheeseburger come with conversations like you get at Mac’s?
Had a better hot dog than at Skins? All you can eat crab legs or a rack of ribs from Sardis is good enough to make any man move back. Please name a better chicken salad sandwich than the ones they serve at Goobers. Ever been to Dyers after church on Sunday? If you have then you don’t have to ask why Ron West came back.
Ever had a better beer than the ones they serve at the Esso?
Where else can you go to a doctor like Bill Dukes or a dentist like Jere Ross?
What is better the clothes at Mr. Knickerbocker or the scoop?
Go stand on the tenth tee at the Walker Course and you will not ask why Ron West returned.
Clemson is maybe more about the people than anything else. It’s the Terry Longs, Lane Millers, Byron Harders, Billy Wares and Al Whitleys of the community that really make it.
There is not enough space on this blog for me to explain it to those who have not been here. I could go on about the botanical gardens or name another few hundred people that make this place special but I think that is enough fluff for today.
In the end, Ron and Becky West realized what many of us already know. There really is something in these hills.
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