Brett McMurphy, College football reporter 10y

ACC coaches describe team in one word

Pick a word, any word.

That’s what I asked the 65 coaches from the Power Five conferences and Notre Dame to do. Describe their team in one word.

Some coaches were one-word wonders, but a few insisted they needed two words. That’s fine because the descriptions shed some insight into how coaches view their team and/or what they want the public perception of their team to be.

Of the 65 coaches, “hungry” was the most common description. Nine coaches went with it, making a “hungry” team the modern-day equivalent of the “taking it one game at a time” cliché. Four coaches used “unproven,” another four “experienced” and three said “young.” Two coaches each used “redemption,” “committed,” “improved” or “youthful."

In all, the 65 coaches used 44 different descriptions.

Well, here’s to taking it one “word” at a time. My word: Enjoy.

ACC (including Notre Dame)

Boston College’s Steve Addazio: Young

Clemson’s Dabo Swinney: Experienced

Duke’s David Cutcliffe: Veteran

Florida State’s Jimbo Fisher: Habits

Georgia Tech’s Paul Johnson: Young

Louisville’s Bobby Petrino: Unknown

Miami’s Al Golden: Renewed

NC State’s Dave Doeren: Redemption

North Carolina’s Larry Fedora: Ravenous

Pitt’s Paul Chryst: Young

Syracuse’s Scott Shafer: Hard-nosed

Virginia’s Mike London: Experienced

Virginia Tech’s Frank Beamer: Developing

Wake Forest’s Dave Clawson: New

Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly: Athletic

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