Clemson is the Anti-Alabama

If there is one thing that has allowed the Clemson Tigers to put together the type of run that they have been on in the last eight years, it may be the fact that the Tigers have been able to keep their coaching staff in tact--for the most part.

While this year's runner-up to the Tigers in the national championship, the Alabama Crimson Tide, will need to replace five members of this years staff--with only one member of the 2016 coaching staff still on the payroll, the Tigers have held onto their coaches.

"You know, when guys have had opportunities to leave back in '14, my offensive coordinator Chad Morris had an opportunity to go be a head coach," Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said. "And it was great opportunity for him and created an opportunity to promote some guys on my staff that I felt like were ready and had done a good job and earned it.

"I had a change at defensive coordinator back in '12 and Brent (Venables) has been with me ever since, Dan Brooks and Marion Hobby retired in — Marion went to the Jags after we won it in '16 and Dan retired. I was able to hire Todd Bates and Lemanski Hall and Mickey Conn, as well. So we've had some change, but I've had a lot of continuity from our support staff and guys that I felt like had opportunities to move up."

In fact, Swinney has kept Venables in Clemson since 2012 — passing up numerous opportunities to move on. Co-offensive coordinators Tony Elliott and Jeff Scott have been on staff for eight and 11 seasons respectively, tight ends coach Danny Pearman has been on staff for 11 years, offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell has been on staff for eight years and cornerbacks coach Mike Reed has been on staff five years.

The most shocking stat is that quarterbacks coach Brandon Streeter, who has been on the staff for four seasons, and defensive tackles coach Bates and safeties coach Conn, both on staff for two seasons, would be the longest tenured staff members on Alabama's staff.

The newest member of the Tigers' coaching staff is Hall, who has only been on the staff one season, however he has been a part of the program since 2015.

Even though this may be shocking to some people, for Swinney it is simply a result of the culture of Clemson.

"We just — we have a great environment to live in, a great environment to come and work in," Swinney said. "We have great relationships. Our staff is very close. We're very — you hear about Clemson family all the time, but it's a very real thing for us, and I think that — I mean, we have guys that have opportunities to leave every year, and we've had change.

"I mean, since I've been the head coach, I've had different coordinators and different position coaches, but when we've had change, we've been able to make good decisions on who gets the opportunity to come in and be a part of our program."