Dabo Swinney has been down before.
The Clemson Tigers football coach might be feeling low after an unprecedented 1-3 start to the 2025 season. But he knows the greatest stories are rooted in a comeback.
During his weekly radio show, Swinney reflected on his career and how the road to Clemson wasn't one he initially envisioned. Back in February of 2023, Swinney was eyeing an opportunity to take his talents back to Alabama. This was before the Nick Saban era, and another shot at being an assistant at his alma mater was always the dream.
Mike Price was hired as Alabama’s new head coach and Swinney believed he would be back in Tuscaloosa after a three-year hiatus.
“Coach Price told me he wanted to go with a veteran assistant instead,” Swinney said. “I was devastated. I told Kath [his wife], ‘It’s just not meant to be.’”
The beauty of life is sometimes what you think is "meant to be" actually redirects you toward a better opportunity. That's what happened to Swinney. He received a call that reshaped college football history and put him on a legendary course.
A few weeks later, Tommy Bowden called to gauge Swinney's interest in coaching the wide receivers at Clemson. The rest is history with Swinney taking over as head coach five years later.
“God knows best, and I’m gonna quit getting mad about things I don’t understand in the moment,” Swinney said. “If I had gotten what I wanted, I’m probably out of coaching again.”
Swinney is probably right. Saban was hired at Alabama three coaches later and he would've likely been out of the Tide's plans before his career had a chance to take off. There is also something to be said about being under Bowden during his start at Clemson. At first, even that came with mixed feelings. Some friends and colleagues warned Swinney against going to the ACC. As it turns out, he definitely got the last laugh.
Now 17 years later, he has led the Tigers to two national championships, nine ACC titles and numerous Coach of the Year honors. Swinney paved his own way and it paid off. He'll coach his 300th game on Saturday against Bill Belichick and North Carolina, which is remarkable longevity.
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