Clemson HC Dabo Swinney Thinks 2025 Criticism is Over Overblown
· Yahoo Sports
Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney is confident that the 2026 regular season will go a lot more smoothly than it did in 2025.
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The Tigers had a disappointing 7-6 record last season. Clemson entered the season with expectations of winning the ACC and making the College Football Playoff. Instead, the team lost their opener to LSU (which fired head coach Brian Kelly before the end of the season) before losing four of its next seven games.
Swinney made sweeping changes to his coaching staff, and unlike in past seasons, embraced the transfer portal to add depth for the defense. Clemson isn't expected to contend for the ACC this season, as Miami, SMU, and Louisville are expected to be ahead of them in 2026.
When speaking to reporters at the ACC Kickoff media days event in Charlotte on Thursday, Swinney defended his record at Clemson, suggesting it was unfair for the media to focus on the results of last season compared to his body of work.
"We've won 11 (ACC) championships in the last 15 years, and then you have a season like last year, and that's what everyone wants to focus on," Swinney said, via Brett McMurphy of On3.
"We're 151-7 when we lead in the fourth quarter, and 2 of those 7 (losses) were last year."
The truth is that Clemson hasn't been a real threat to win the national championship since Trevor Lawrence left in 2020. While the Tigers have been a force in the ACC, they haven't been a worry for the Big Ten and ACC.
Now, Miami is the class of the ACC.
Swinney isn't worried about the concerns of his fan base, opting to consider his personal relationship with God over the wishes in South Carolina.
"You get a lot of love and a lot of hate in this world. I've had enough for a lifetime," Swinney said. "If you get that 1 more yard, they love you. If you're short, they hate you. That's why I've built my life on a foundation of faith."
That faith will be put to the test this season.