Clemson football: Gamecock writer calls out Dabo Swinney

The Clemson football program might not be having the year that everyone was hoping for, but you’d never expect Gamecock fans and analysts to come out of the woodwork questioning Dabo Swinney. 

Except, that’s exactly where we are.

The Big Spur’s Tony Morrell, who has covered the South Carolina Gamecocks for more than a decade, posted on his site’s message board earlier this week that he believed Cincinnati’s Luke Fickell was a better coach than Dabo Swinney.

When asked about that comment by another poster in the forum, Morrell explained that Swinney is a CEO who has made great hires, but that the Clemson coach “is not and never will be a great coach.”

The Clemson football program hasn’t done anything except sustain success for more than a decade

There are fair criticisms of Dabo Swinney to go around. Some question his hires. Other question a few decisions he has made in the past. Some question his willingness to change and adapt in the new era of College Football, which includes the NCAA Transfer Portal and over-signing in recruiting cycles, but to say he’s not a great coach is just laughable.

Swinney has led a program that was basically destitute before he got there to six-straight CFB Playoff appearances, two National Championships, seven ACC Championships and has placed Clemson on the map.

Oh, he also holds a streak of six-straight wins over the Gamecocks currently.

You don’t have that kind of success and not be a great coach.

Yes, Dabo Swinney has been in the CEO role. But he also has played an integral part in weekly gam plans and he has made some major decisions throughout the course of his career that have come back to win games.

This is, frankly, just sour grapes and trying to have a hot take for the sake of having a hot take.

Yes, Clemson is down this season.

But, if you injected 130 FBS Athletic Directors with truth serum and asked them if they could have Dabo Swinney or their current coach, it’s a guarantee that every single one of them with the exception of Alabama– and maybe a couple of other powers– would give the answer of Swinney, including South Carolina, we should add.