Paul Finebaum Uses One Word to Describe Dabo Swinney, and Clemson Fans Won’t Like It

Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney has had one of the most unwhelming seasons of his coaching career in 2025, and he was ripped apart using one word by ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum.

Finebaum and Swinney have seemed to butt heads over the course of this season, especially when the Tigers began the season with a losing record of 3-5. However, in a game that was introduced by AL.com, Finebaum could only use one word to describe several head coaches and their current situations.

At the end of the video, Swinney’s name comes up, and Finebaum is quick to respond with his word.

“Grandpa,” he said.

The response comes due to Swinney’s reluctance to change with the given environment of college football. A great example of this was the transfer portal, which the Clemson head coach still uses in small amounts, but used it to pick up important pieces like edge rusher Will Heldt and wide receiver Tristan Smith this season.

Finebaum has also spoken on how Swinney should potentially seek a new environment, making the bold take at the beginning of November, when the Tigers had a losing record following the Duke loss.

“Every time I talk about Dabo, somebody takes it the wrong way,” Finebaum said. “But nobody here is suggesting Dabo Swinney be fired. “I am strongly suggesting Dabo Swinney get outta there, though. It’s gotten so bad, and I hate to see a Hall of Fame coach act that petulant and that poorly.”

However, Clemson is now on a four-game winning streak, making that take obsolete.

The term that the ESPN analyst used could see some change over the course of this offseason. Swinney has lamented that he will be using the portal after seeing some of his recruits leave over the course of the season. Positions in the secondary have been something of note, especially with the departure of Khalil Barnes and Avieon Terrell, could be a position of note.

“That’s the first thing that put you in the portal, or, you know, somebody leaves that you didn’t want to leave,” Swinney said. “That puts you in the portal because, again, now you got to fill your number and you know there’s nowhere to go get a high school kid in January, in December.”

Lots of change is expected to come to Clemson football over the course of this offseason, and more eyes will be on Swinney than ever to make the changes to get the Tigers back to the top of the college football world.