There are a lot of reasons Dabo Swinney hired Todd Bates to replace Marion Hobby as Clemson’s new defensive line coach.
Swinney got to watch Bates up close as he coached at a few of Swinney’s camps over the years, and he liked what he saw. Swinney likes his young age of 34 and capacity to coach the entire D-line. Swinney likes his track record during previous coaching stints at Jacksonville State, East Mississippi Junior College and Idaho State, and that he was a permanent co-captain as a player at Alabama.
It’s also clear that Swinney likes Bates’ ability as a recruiter.