One of the first things Clay Helton was tasked with upon being hired as the running backs coach at Memphis prior to the 2000 season was to pay a visit to Clemson.
Memphis’ head coach, Tommy West, wanted Helton and the rest of his staff to study the offensive system being used by Clemson’s offensive coordinator. A guy named Rich Rodriguez.
“I’ve always been a fan of Rich Rodriguez -- a guy I truly respect,” Helton said. “He’s always done such a great job taking his personnel and adapting it to what he needs offensively. I remember a long time ago he was one of the premier pass guys in the world.