By: Jeff Melinyshyn (@Jmel1125)
Through five weeks of Season 23 in the CFSL, there have been many storylines and surprises. One storyline has taken the league by storm, that being the 4-1 Clemson Tigers out of the ACC. Clemson is on a run, and Clemson Athletic Director (AD) Logan Wetzel is not shocked about it.
They have won three weeks in a row with a litmus test matchup against Miami this week. Clemson shocked (though it should not be as shocking) many in the CFSL community in Week 4, as they upset #4 North Carolina. Clemson started the season unranked and did not get into the top 15 rankings until last week when they jumped up to #11 en route to a dominating performance against #5 Virginia Tech.
I sat down with Wetzel, and others he did not know about, this weekend and asked him about this season’s success and his time before being an AD, and his 2.5 seasons at Clemson.
Jeff: What made you/who helped you, become the AD at Clemson?
Wetzel: Beard (Justin Duke, Auburn AD). Had a blast at Texas and then at Auburn. Also, Tiny (CJ Furman, Tenn AD), I came into the league needing a community more than ever in my life, and he did a nice job of building that, having nothing but new people to the league. Under Beard, I learned the more complex parts of running a team.
Jeff: What was it about Justin that stuck with you?
Wetzel: I knew of him before I joined the league. He had a great reputation in my hometown for mentoring young people. I wanted to copy that as much as I could. Justin also knew he was only as good as the people he had around him, you, Meezy (Matt Haase, Iowa AD), Rob, etc., and that made Justin even better than he already was.
Jeff: How was that first season at Clemson for you?
Wetzel: It was a season of growth. We had nearly an entire team of freshmen who were all hungry from the jump. The team wasted no time impressing me. We took FSU to the wire and beat rising Virginia Tech. I knew the team’s future was bright and who was in our corner.
Jeff: “What did you learn most during that season?”
Wetzel: Physically, what recruiting is like. We had four players that stayed from the previous AD, but the rest we had to go out and get. Psychologically, how success can be measured in alternative ways in this league. At season’s end, I felt we had accomplished so much internally and wanted a shot at the playoffs, but that, of course, was a little extreme on my part.
Jeff: How do people calling Clemson upset specialists make you feel?
Wetzel: I think these words could have been best used during the days of the MAC, when a MAC team would beat a much more experienced Power Conference team. However, in the ACC, this season and last, any of the teams can get a win any week. I am convinced Clemson stands amongst the best in the ACC and CFSL this season.
Jeff: Does that narrative bug you?
Wetzel: It does downplay our success and therefore all of the excellent teams in our conference and league that get big wins. As far as these sorts of games in non-conference, I would say it goes back a bit, to the parity that Mike has been seeking.
Jeff: Did you feel ready, looking back, when you were named Clemson AD?
Wetzel: I would think most new ADs would get this lingering gut feeling that they may not be ready, but I knew I was as good as the people I had surrounded myself with, and those guys were great. So, I knew I would be ready.
Jeff: Do you think Clemson is not being taken seriously enough as a true title contender?
Wetzel: No. We are not taken seriously since people act shocked when we beat them, but they really should not be at this point, seeing our experience and playoff appearance last season. In the same way, recent history does not convince anyone we are there yet, either.
Matt Haase, newly appointed Iowa AD, knew the challenges when he joined Wetzel’s staff at Clemson for Season 21, stating, “Most rebuilds are tough, we had a tall task put in front of us to completely rebrand an already well-established team. Wetzel came in and did a great job of cementing the culture he wanted that first season. There were bumps in the road, but the people who bought in are reaping the rewards.” Haase grew a friendship with Wetzel from time at Texas, then Auburn, and Clemson. Haase said, “Obviously, the main thing I brought from Clemson to Iowa was that family environment, which you could credit that coming from season 20 at Auburn. That and recruiting for those two seasons at Clemson.” Haase has shown the recruiting chops, as many dubbed Iowa the winners of this past offseason. Haase is not surprised by Clemson this season, “It was a matter of time for the games to go their way. They’ve been competitive for two seasons and now they’re over that hump.”
Justin Duke was the AD at Texas when a “young kid with drive and ambition” wanted to get on the coaching staff. That young kid turned out to be Wetzel. Duke believed Wetzel needed to “Temper his expectations. He was on a really special Texas/Auburn team that was very successful. The adversity of losing seasons was not easy, but he worked through it like a champ.” Watching from afar, Duke believes the most impressive thing about Wetzel’s tenure is “his ability to always be positive. We’ve seen ADs get chewed up and spit out by close losses in big games, and he almost fed off it.”
When pressed on the possibility of Wetzel getting promoted too early, Duke pushed back, “Potentially, but sometimes it’s best to get those types of seasons early. I went 3-6 my first season, and it taught me a lot.” Duke might be excited for what Wetzel is doing, but they have not faced each other, and will not unless they meet in the playoffs this season. Duke is still confident if they do, stating, “You see, Clemson… you might be reading from the same playbook-but we wrote the dang thing! You might know the moves, but you ain’t got the muscle to pull ‘em off! Cause when the lights are brightest and the stakes are highest, it ain’t just about strategy… It’s about depth, talent, and big-time experience. We’ve got all three wrapped in orange and blue and ready to roll!” I, for one, am now hoping to see that matchup.
