Defiance Defines Clemson HC Dabo Swinney as Tigers Look to Bounce Back

Being a 1-2 team in college football is like being at a crossroads, especially for a team like the Clemson Tigers.

A team that started as the No. 4 team in the country, Clemson has taken two tough losses against LSU and Georgia Tech, and is now on the outside looking in of the AP Top 25 poll.

However, head coach Dabo Swinney says that the team is “still looking for our best game” and plans to bounce back this weekend against Syracuse.

“This ain’t the worst thing that’s happened to me in my life, and it won’t be, and it won’t be for these players,” he said on Tuesday. “That’s a bad moment because we take pride and we’re competitive.”

While Swinney remains calm about the situation, fans and people close to the Clemson head coach have been reaching out to him for condolences. Swinney recalls that multiple close friends have sent text messages with prayers.

Swinney also says that other coaches around the ACC and other conferences have reached out and “encouraged me, and I really appreciate that.”

“Nobody wants to win more than we do, and I love that, but that doesn’t affect me,” the Clemson head coach said. “It’s just part of us, but at the end of the day, I’ve learned a lot in this job, and one of the things I learned is when you have a lot of success, people want to tear you down.”

On the other hand, the team is 1-2, and some fans are coming after Swinney’s head. However, he’s defiant in his role, advocating the fans and media to remain with the team due to the past success that the team has had.

“Perspective is important,” he said. “If they want me gone, if they’re tired of winning, they can send me on the way, because that’s all we’ve done is win. So if they’re tired of winning, we won this league eight of the last 10 years. Is that not good? Is that good?

I don’t know if that’s good or not: to win your league eight out of ten years, to go to the Playoff seven out of 10 years, being in four national championships, winning it twice. We look down right now, take your shots, but I’ve got a long memory, in case you didn’t know.”

The Tigers had a scenario like this two seasons ago, where losses to Florida State and Duke saw the team begin with a 2-2 record, then having a .500 record at 4-4 through eight games. The team would then go on and win five straight on its way to a Gator Bowl win against Kentucky.

If fans don’t come together like that, Swinney believes that they weren’t true fans anyway.

“If you don’t believe in us because we lost two games down to the last play, you didn’t believe in us anyway, so it doesn’t matter,” he said. “You weren’t all in anyway. If you’re all in, you burn the ships. There is no exit strategy.

The Clemson head coach will also remain a coach regardless of where he ends up. If people want him out, Swinney will coach anywhere else, believing he can take winning ways elsewhere.

“If Clemson’s tired of winning, they can send me on my way, but I’ll go somewhere else and coach,” Swinney said. “I ain’t going to the beach. Hell, I’m 55, I’ve got a long way to go.”

However, Clemson is where he wants to be. He says he loves “when people care” about the program as much as he does.

The Tigers will face Syracuse at Memorial Stadium at noon this Saturday, and Swinney is looking for the team to bounce back strongly to set up a strong ACC campaign, despite the opening loss.

“We will bounce back,” Swinney said. “This is a program built to last, always has been, always will be.”