ESPN's Paul Finebaum has Surprising Suggestion for Clemson's Dabo Swinney

ESPN sportswriter and broadcaster Paul Finebaum has said a lot about the Clemson Tigers over the years, whether good or bad, but in 2025, he warmed up to the Tigers.

Over the offseason, he had high expectations – as most did – naming them a legitimate title contender, but after a brutal home beatdown by Syracuse that dropped them to 1-3 on the season, he's changed up his tone a whole lot.

"My advice to Dabo, and I know he doesn't like taking advice from people like me, is to get out of there. Be quiet. Quit talking," Finebaum said Tuesday on the Matt Barrie Show. "Because he has no credibility now with his fanbase…I think it's over at Clemson. Let's quit trying to sugarcoat it, Matt. Sometimes it's very difficult to get it back when you've lost it. [Dabo] lost it, and he got it back. Now he's lost it again. And badly, it's time for him to go."

On Thursday morning’s edition of First Take, Finebaum addressed his earlier remarks about Swinney, clarifying that his intent wasn't to call for the coach's firing.

With Clemson's struggles going on early in the season, he acknowledged that concern over the program's direction was natural, but emphasized that Swinney's legacy should be protected rather than thrown out, as was Mike Gundy's at Oklahoma State earlier this week.

"I wasn't suggesting [Dabo] gets fired. I was suggesting he either do one of two things: go to another school while he still can, or go into TV, which I think he'd be very good at. But I don't like his future at Clemson," he explained. "The one thing I don't want to happen here is because of his greatness; he's won two national championships, and he's played for the title countless times. I don't want to see Dabo Swinney, a hall of fame coach, end his career five years from now looking like Mike Gundy did on Tuesday afternoon, being pushed out the door after an amazing career."

Clemson's 2025 season has been a stark reminder that even the most dominant programs aren't immune to struggles. The Tigers entered the year with high expectations, but a tough beginning, including a 0-2 start in conference play, has exposed cracks in a team that once seemed untouchable.

Fans and analysts alike now measure the legacy of a coach who brought national championships and consistent success to a once-small program against the present realities.

How Clemson responds in the coming weeks will shape this season and perceptions of a program that has long been considered a model of stability in college football.