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Rob Spence has brought the Tiger offense to among the elite units in the nation. And he has done it with success in all areas of the game. In 2008 Clemson and Tennessee will be the only BCS Conference schools with a returning 1000-yard rusher and a 1000-yard receiver from the 2007 season. Clemson has been the most balanced team in the ACC each of the last three years and Spence's play calling has everything to do with those numbers. Most importantly, Clemson has led the ACC in scoring offense each of the last two years.
In 2007, the Tigers led the ACC in scoring offense and finished second in total offense and rushing offense and finished third in passing offense. Clemson was the only team in the ACC with at least 2000 yards rushing and 3000 yards passing and averaged 403 yards of total offense per game. Clemson led the aCC in touchdowns with 51, the second highest total in school history.
The success of the offense led to many postseason honors for Tiger gridders. Offensive tackle Barry Richardson was a first-team All-American, while offensive guard Chris McDuffie was a second team selection. Wide receiver Aaron Kelly and running back James Davis were both first-team All-ACC selections, giving Clemson a league best four of the 11 first team selections on offense. Kelly had 88 receptions in 2007, tied for the second highest total in ACC history, while Davis enters his senior year ranked second in Clemson history in rushing yards and total touchdowns.
Spence has tutored three different quarterbacks in his three years to outstanding seasons. Charlie Whitehurst was the Tiger signal caller in 2005 and he is now with the San Diego Chargers. Will Proctor set a Clemson career passing efficiency record while working under Spence. In 2007, Cullen Harper led the ACC in passing efficiency and set 22 school records. He will be an O'Brien Award candidate as a senior in 2008.
Since Spence came to Clemson for the 2005 season, the Tigers have won at least eight games every year. It is the first time since the 1986-91 era that Clemson has won at least eight games three consecutive years. Clemson has finished in the top 25 of both polls two of the three seasons and has been to a bowl game all three years.
In 2006, his second year as offensive coordinator, Clemson gained at least 2,500 yards rushing and passing, one of just four schools nationally to exceed those mark on both categories. It was also just the second time in school history it had been done. Clemson led the ACC and was in the top 13 in the nation in total offense, rushing offense, and scoring offense. It marked just the third time in history that the Tiger offense finished in the top 20 in all three areas in the same year.
Leading the ACC in those three areas is not a common occurrence. In fact, it was the first time any ACC team had led in all three areas since 1990, and it was just the second time it had been done by any ACC school in the last 25 years. It was also the first time Clemson had done it since 1978.
The Tigers were a dominant team on offense at the league level in 2006. Clemson averaged a league-best 410 yards per game of total offense to finish 13th in the nation, the only ACC team to finish in the top 49 in the country in that category. Clemson gained 719 more yards and scored 80 more points than its nearest ACC foe in 2006. It was quite an accomplishment considering the ACC had five of the top 18 teams in the nation in total defense.
The Tigers also led the ACC in yards per play (6.5), touchdowns (55), and third-down conversion percentage (42). The touchdown total and yards-per-play figure were school records as well.
Individually, Clemson had the second-best passer (Will Proctor, 135.3 passing efficiency), the second-best receiver (Chansi Stuckey, 50 receptions for 700 yards), and the third-best rusher (James Davis, 1,187 yards). C.J. Spiller also was third in the league in all-purpose yards and set a school record for 50-yard touchdowns (6) in a season.
Spence was the architect of one of the most-improved offenses in Tiger history in his first season. The 2005 Tigers improved 89 yards per game in total offense over 2004, the fourth-biggest jump in school history and the eighth-best improvement among Division I teams. Spence's approach helped the Tigers to an 8-4 record in 2005, including three wins over top-25 teams. Clemson beat #16 Florida State and #19 South Carolina in consecutive games, then defeated Colorado in the Champs Sports Bowl.
Clemson's success on offense has been of no surprise to those who have followed Spence's career. The veteran assistant led Toledo to four straight top-13 final marks in total offense, and helped the Rocket program to 35 victories between 2001-04. Twice in his four years, the Rockets were in the top 20 in the nation in rushing, and twice the team was in the top 20 in passing.
Spence was not a one-year wonder at Toledo. All four of his offenses were in the top 13 in the nation in total offense and top 25 in scoring offense.
Spence guided an offense that averaged 474.1 yards and 35.2 points per game in the 2004 regular season that included a 9-3 overall record and MAC title. It was the third time in four years that Toledo played for the league title.
The Rockets gained 2,013 rushing yards and 3,676 passing yards in the 2004 regular season, joining Louisville (11-1), Oklahoma (12-0), and Southern California (12-0) as the nation's only offenses to record at least 2,000 rushing yards and 3,000 passing yards.
Spence came to Toledo after a year as co-offensive coordinator at Louisiana Tech, where he tutored freshman Luke McCown, who threw for 2,533 yards and 21 scores on the way to a freshman All-America season.
Spence was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Hofstra from 1997-99. In 1999, it averaged 34 points per game, and the team had an 11-2 record and #5 final national ranking.
Spence was an assistant at Maryland (1992-96) under Mark Duffner, as Maryland set 70 school offensive records. As quarterbacks coach in 1994, Maryland was 10th in the nation in passing.
In 1991, Spence coached the quarterbacks at Holy Cross under Duffner, and he helped the Crusaders to an 11-0 record and #3 national ranking.
Spence worked as the offensive coordinator at Hofstra in 1990, helping that program to a 12-1 record and a #3 national ranking. He was the offensive coordinator at Iona, his alma mater, in 1989, and that team posted an 8-2 record.
Spence began his coaching career as an assistant at Pelham (NY) Memorial High School in 1981 before moving to Iona Prep in New Rochelle, NY in 1982. He was the varsity offensive coordinator in 1982 and the head junior varsity coach in 1983. He then became the head coach at Iona Prep in 1984, a position he served for five seasons until he started his college coaching career at Iona. His five-year head coaching record was 29-19-1 at Iona Prep.
Spence, a native of Pelham, NY, played high school football at Saint Andrews High in Middletown, DE (1972-75). He went on to play tight end at Iona from 1978-81. He earned his bachelor's degree in social work from Iona in 1981 and later earned his master's degree in education from Iona in 1990.
An avid runner who ran in the Boston Marathon in April of 2004, the 50-year-old Spence and his wife Susan have two daughters, Samantha (16) and Sydney Rae (14).
Playing Experience
Played tight end at Iona (1978-81).
Education
B.A. degree in social work from Iona in 1981...M.S. degree in education from Iona in 1990.
Coaching Experience
Assistant coach at Pelham Memorial High in Pelham, NY (1981)...offensive coordinator/junior varsity head coach at Iona Prep in New Rochelle, NY (1982,83)...head coach at Iona Prep (1984-88)...offensive coordinator at Iona (1989)...offensive coordinator/quarterbacks at Hofstra (1990)...quarterbacks coach at Holy Cross (1991)...inside receivers/tight ends coach at Maryland (1992,93)...quarterbacks coach at Maryland (1994-96)...offensive coordinator/quarterbacks at Hofstra (1997,98)...associate head coach/offensive coordinator at Hofstra (1999)...co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks at Louisiana Tech (2000)...assistant head coach/offensive coordinator at Toledo (2001-04)...offensive coordinator/quarterbacks at Clemson (2005,06).
Bowl Seasons as an Assistant Coach
2001 Motor City Bowl...2002 Motor City Bowl...2005 Champs Sports Bowl...2006 Music City Bowl.
Personal Data
Born October 10, 1958 in Middletown, DE...married to Susan...the couple has two daughters (Samantha 15, Sydney Rae 13).
