Clemson Tigers Head Coach Dabo Swinney Has Been Underappreciated of Late

Dabo Swinney has been underappreciated of late for the success of the Clemson Tigers.

Dec 7, 2024; Charlotte, NC, USA; Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney during the second quarter against the Southern Methodist Mustangs in the 2024 ACC Championship game at Bank of America Stadium. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The Clemson Tigers were able to win yet another ACC title, this time coming against the SMU Mustangs. 

It was a memorable ACC Title win for the Tigers in 2024, with a 56-yard field goal as time expired, Clemson won the conference and secured a spot in the expanded College Football Playoff. 

After a down season in 2023, the Tigers bounced back nicely this year. With a (10-3) record overall and as the conference championship, they have a chance to win the CFP now.

Despite a lot of criticism of late, Dabo Swinney has added another championship to his resume and reached the CFP once again. Since becoming the head coach in 2008, there have been few better programs in the country than the Tigers. 

Recently, Swinney commented on the success of the program over the last decade and highlighted not taking anything for granted. 

“This is our 14th year in a row with a postseason win,” he said to Jason Priester of the Clemson Insider. “Nobody ever has done anything like that in college football. But all we hear is how bad we are and how terrible we are and how stupid I am and how whatever. We just keep winning. We just keep winning. We’re not perfect. I am far from perfect,” Swinney said. “But we have great players who believe in who we are and what we do and we have great coaches, and we’re family. That’s the best answer I can give you. It’s a blessing to be a part of it. I don’t take that for granted.”

The program has certainly taken its fair share of criticism over the last few years. Due to the success from 2015 to 2020 in the CFP, expectations drastically changed for Clemson with two National Titles. However, winning a National Title is no easy task in college football, and the Tigers still have had very successful seasons despite not winning it all. 

Swinney deserves a lot of credit for what he has built in Clemson over the last 15 years. With a ton of conference championships and postseason success, the Tigers have arguably been the best program in the country during that span. 

Now, with the changing times in college football with an expanded playoff and NIL deals taking over the sport, Swinney and Clemson have been trying to navigate uncharted waters. While it hasn’t been perfect, they still were able to have a great season regardless of what happens in the CFP.