College football is in a major transition period. An unprecedented number of premier programs have fired their coaches midseason. While some have called for Dabo Swinney’s job, Clemson should ignore the noise.
Swinney has been widely criticized for his limited use of the transfer portal and his failure to fully embrace NIL. While some preeminent programs like Ohio State have profited from the new dynamic, previously irrelevant teams like Indiana, Georgia Tech, and Vanderbilt have also benefited. It is still the early years of NIL and the portal, and each program is trying to navigate it. But for every team reaping the rewards, another is experiencing turmoil.
Swinney’s cautious approach is different than most, and the lack of success is causing some to believe that he’s been left in the dust of a new era. But as Coach Corso says, not so fast. There hasn’t been enough time to determine if Swinney’s caution is warranted or not.
To the chagrin of fans, most programs cannot be the best all the time. There are so many where “championships are the standard,” but only one team can win each season. If teams start firing their coach in the wake of a couple disappointing seasons, college football is going to see the most senseless coaching carousel in the 150+ year history of this sport.
Dabo Swinney is one of only 3 active coaches with a national championship. He won the ACC championship in 2024 in one of the Tigers’ more disappointing seasons. Under Swinney, Clemson has the second most College Football Playoff appearances, trailing only Alabama.
The criticisms of Swinney are fair. There are too many friends and family on the staff and roster. He must figure out NIL, and the transfer portal does not have to be the enemy of team culture. Play calling must improve, and there may be other staff adjustments that need to happen. Maybe he’s even making too much money. None of this means Swinney should lose his job.
Boosters have gained power with the emergence of NIL. While programs celebrate the dollars flowing in, they aren’t coming from folks who should be making personnel decisions. With the commotion on the college football landscape, Clemson would be wise to keep their leader in place. Firing a proven team builder and winner amid the chaos would be reckless. Swinney has earned the benefit of the doubt to pilot this program through the tension to the other side.
As Swinney once said, Clemson is on the ROY Bus, and fans and leadership would do well to ride it out with him and stay above the fray of programs chaotically operating on recency bias.