Bowden told defensive coordinator John Lovett and offensive coordinator Mike O'Cain about his decision Tuesday morning, according to reports in several publications citing unnamed sources.
Bowden refused to talk about the move, athletic spokesman Tim Bourret said. He will talk to the media in his year-end news conference Monday.
Lovett and O'Cain are the first assistants fired in Bowden's six years with the Tigers.
It is the second year Bowden has made major overhauls on his staff following lackluster seasons.
In February, he reassigned five coaches, including elevating O'Cain from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator.
But the offense struggled under O'Cain, this season, averaging just 21.5 points and 295.6 yards per game to rank 109th in the NCAA in total offense. Clemson's rushing average of 107.5 yards a game is the lowest since the school began keeping statistics in 1938.
O'Cain came to his alma mater as quarterbacks coach in 2001 after a year as offensive coordinator at North Carolina. He spent seven years as head coach at North Carolina State before he was fired in 1999.
Lovett's firing is more surprising. The defense started the season off slowly as the Tigers were 1-4 at one point.
But in the last six games the Tigers gave up just 12.2 points and 248.5 yards a game.
Lovett came to Clemson before the 2002 season after he was fired as defensive coordinator at Auburn.
Clemson finished the season 6-5, but the school decided not to go to a bowl game after the Tigers brawled with South Carolina for several minutes during the fourth quarter of Clemson's 29-7 win.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2004/12/145849