Congressman Ford?
Former Clemson, Arkansas coach ponders political future
Posted: Wednesday March 03, 1999 10:36 AM
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Some Republicans wonder how serious a candidate Ford would be. Scott Halleran/Allsport |
GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) -- Former Clemson football coach Danny Ford has a national championship to his credit. Now Democrats wonder if he might want to try adding the title of congressman, perhaps as a challenger next year for the seat held by Republican U.S. Rep. Lindsey Graham.
Ford, who was fired after the 1997 season as University of Arkansas football coach, has been approached by party officials to run. Ford said he would consider entering the race in the 3rd District along South Carolina's western edge.
"I'm going to sit down and talk to some people, but I haven't put that much thought into it yet," he said Monday.
State Democratic Chairman Dick Harpootlian said he did not expect Ford to make an early decision. "If you know Danny, you know he'll do it on his own time," Harpootlian said. "I think he wants to get involved."
Republicans, however, don't know how serious a candidate Ford would be.
"If Clemson didn't want him, I don't know why the voters of the 3rd District would," said Trey Walker, executive director of the state Republican Party.
Ford, 50, left Clemson almost a decade ago and went on to coach for five years at Arkansas. He tried to get his Clemson job back last year when coach Tommy West was fired, but the school hired Tulane coach Tommy Bowden.
Ford had a 96-29-4 record at Clemson, including the 1981 national championship, but his teams were twice placed on probation for rules infractions. Ford was implicated personally in the first, but was cleared of any direct involvement in the second.
He left in January 1990, then resurfaced at Arkansas, where he compiled a 26-30-1 record with only two winning seasons. The university bought out the final three years of his contract and he returned to his Pickens County farm.
"He's a popular football coach in South Carolina, but there's a big difference in being a football coach and a U.S. congressman," Walker said. "I don't know if he has the stature, but he has some baggage himself at Clemson -- and it wasn't his won-loss record."
However, Anderson County GOP Chairman Kevin Bryant said Ford would be a strong candidate just because of his name recognition.
Republicans already have a football coach holding elected office. State Sen. Warren Giese of Columbia coached the University of South Carolina from 1956-60.
Analysts say it would take a high-profile candidate to beat Graham, who has been in the national spotlight as one of the House prosecutors in President Clinton's impeachment trial.
Graham ended a century of Democratic control of the 3rd District when he won in 1994. He won re-election with 60 percent of the vote in 1996 and was unopposed last year. Democrats had held the district from Reconstruction through 1994 when 20-year Democratic incumbent Butler Derrick retired.
The district makes up much of the northern Savannah River Valley, from Oconee County south to part of Aiken County.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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