Dabo Swinney has heard the noise. Clemson’s 2025 season hasn’t started the way anyone in orange wanted, and the knives are out. But the Tigers’ head coach didn’t shy away from defending his résumé.
“We’ve had one bad season here. Seventeen years as a head coach, we’ve had one bad season. That’s just the facts,” Swinney said. “We won six games, and that was a really painful year. We had five losses by six points or less, one to the national champion at Auburn. That was a painful loss. But in 14 years, the worst season we’ve had is nine wins.”
Lessons From the Past
For Swinney, the current turbulence is nothing new. He rattled off moments when Clemson appeared to be teetering—only to respond with resilience.
2010: “We won six games, but I was encouraged because I knew we were on the right track.”
2011–2014: An ACC title, a humiliating Orange Bowl loss, and a 10–3 rally capped by a blowout of Oklahoma.
2016–2019: “We went on a five-year run, the greatest in the history of college football… and in 18 and 19, we won 29 in a row.”
2021: Painful pick-sixes, double-OT heartbreaks, and a 10–3 “down year” that most programs would envy.
“We’ve had bad moments. We’ve had bad little stretches. But we’ve always responded,” Swinney said. “That’s why we’ve had 14 straight postseason appearances.”
Built From Adversity
Swinney framed Clemson’s identity not around perfection, but persistence.
“The reason we are, I think, the best program in college football is because we’ve always battled. We’ve always responded,” he said. “We are not perfect. We’ve had some lows, and this is one of those. But we have consistency, and we have fight.”
He reminded everyone that the program was “built from adversity and for it.”
“I’ve lived it. I’ve seen it. And I’ve got faith in the storm,” Swinney added. “This is a little bit of a storm. It’s disappointing, but we’ve never quit.”
Blocking Out the Noise
Asked if the criticism feels personal, Swinney shook it off.
“I really don’t feel that,” he said. “I don’t let any of that in. That’s a gift I have. I know it’s bad because I get all the text messages—people saying they’re praying for me, sending me devotions. That’s how I know it’s bad. But I don’t read it. I don’t let it in.”
The Final Word
Clemson fans may be restless, but Swinney left no doubt about his confidence in the program’s DNA.
“We may suck this year. We may lay a freaking egg and go 6–6. But I don’t think so,” he said. “What’s so bad about a worst season of nine wins in 14 years? How many programs would sign up for that? The story’s not written yet—let’s respond like we always have.”