Tag: Dabo Swinney

Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney talks to officials Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, during the NCAA football game against the Duke Blue Devils at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina.

ACC fines Clemson $10K, reprimands Dabo Swinney for referee criticisms

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Atlantic Coast Conference issued a public reprimand to Clemson coach Dabo Swinney and a $10,000 fine to the university on Sunday for Swinney’s critical comments about officiating after the Tigers’ 46-45 home loss to Duke on Saturday.

With the Tigers clinging to a 45-38 lead with less than a minute left, it appeared they had a fourth-down stop which would have clinched the game before a pass interference penalty was assessed to Clemson defensive back Avieon Terrell with 43 seconds left.

Terrell was in close coverage against Que’Shon Brown, who appeared to shove Terrell when the pass was in the air to prevent an interception.

On the very next play, Duke scored a touchdown on a 3-yard Nate Sheppard run. Instead of kicking the extra point, the Blue Devils went for the win, converting a two-point conversion on a pass to Sahmir Hagans.

“I don’t even know what to say about the last call. Y’all saw it,” Swinney said of the penalty. “It shouldn’t come down to that. We had plenty of opportunities to win the game, but that’s one of the worst calls I’ve ever seen in a game, ever, in my entire coaching career. Ever.”

The ACC office said, in part, “Public criticism of officials or public comments evaluating the officiating of particular contests is not in the best interest of intercollegiate athletics.”

With the loss, Clemson falls to 3-5 (2-4 in ACC) on the year after starting the season as the No. 4 team in the preseason Associated Press poll. The Tigers host Florida State (4-4, 1-4) Saturday.

–Field Level Media

Sep 13, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney on the sideline against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the first quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Dabo Swinney barks back at critics of Clemson’s 1-2 start

Posted on | by Field Level Media

National championship goals are not yet lost for Clemson, but the Tigers are trending the wrong direction with two losses in their first three games.

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said he’s hearing the criticism, but he’s intent on proving the Tigers can swim in hot water.

He barked back at mounting criticism and so-called haters of Clemson’s position in the playoff pecking order, which became louder after the 24-21 road loss to Georgia Tech last week. Clemson also lost the opener to LSU, 17-10.

The Tigers are 1-2 for the first time since 2014, when they finished 10-3 and beat Oklahoma in the Russell Athletic Bowl.

“If they want me gone, if they’re tired of winning, they can send me on my way because that’s all we’ve done is win,” Swinney said on Tuesday.

“So if they’re tired of winning … we’ve won this league eight out of the last 10 years. Is that not good? I’m just asking. Is that good?

“To go to the Playoff seven out of 10 years, be in four national championships, win it twice?

“If Clemson’s tired of winning, they can send me on my way, but I’m gonna go somewhere else and coach. I ain’t going to the beach. Hell, I’m 55. I’ve got a long way to go. Y’all are gonna have to deal with me for a while. I’m just getting going. I’m just now good enough to be a head coach. I just now am figuring it out. So we’ll be around awhile. Let’s hang in there. … I got a long way to go, boys. Long way to go. Hate to disappoint all the haters out there.”

Getting back to the College Football Playoff is shaping up as a serious challenge for the unranked Tigers. Fellow Atlantic Coast Conference member Miami (3-0) is No. 4 in the latest Top 25 poll and three spots ahead of Florida State (2-0). Georgia Tech (3-0) is 18th.

“If you don’t believe in us because we’ve lost two games, you didn’t believe in us anyway,” Swinney said. “So it doesn’t matter. You weren’t all-in anyway.”

–Field Level Media

Feb 26, 2025; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Clemson senior forward Ian Schieffelin (4) watches a free throw sink near Notre Dame forward Tae Davis (7) and Notre Dame guard Logan Imes (2) during the second half at Littlejohn Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ken Ruinard-Imagn Images

Clemson’s Ian Schieffelin shifting from basketball to football

Posted on | by Field Level Media

After 134 games in a Clemson basketball jersey, power forward Ian Schieffelin is changing uniforms. But not schools.

Schieffelin announced Friday he has taken Tigers football coach Dabo Swinney up on his offer to play tight end on his team.

The 6-foot-8 Schieffelin posted a photo on Instagram that showed him clad half in a basketball jersey, half in a football one, with the caption, “Next chapter.”

He wasn’t a major NBA draft prospect — an overseas team or the G League was more likely — so he decided to see where football could take him.

“I’ve been just training for basketball, getting ready for the next level,” Schieffelin told ESPN. “Dabo just walked me through the opportunity he was willing to give me, and it all sounded great, something I wanted to jump on. It really just sparked my interest in wanting to try, and being able to put on a Clemson jersey again was very enticing to me. To be able to be coached by Dabo and (tight ends coach Kyle) Richardson is just a huge opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”

For the Tigers in 2024-25, Schieffelin averaged 12.4 points and 9.4 rebounds per game last season. He started all 70 games he played in over the past two seasons.

“I’d never rule out me going back to basketball,” Schieffelin said. “I’ll see how these next six months go, see how development goes, see if I really like playing football. But I think this is a good opportunity for the next six months.”

Most famously, Antonio Gates transitioned from playing basketball at Kent State to becoming a Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end for the San Diego Chargers. Schieffelin told ESPN he spoke with Indianapolis Colts tight end Mo-Alie Cox, who played four seasons of basketball at VCU, about the opportunity.

Swinney apparently has thought about the idea for a while. In a news conference in the fall that coincided with the start of the college basketball season, he was asked whether Schieffelin could play football — a sport Schieffelin gave up early in high school. The answer was an enthusiastic yes.

“He could play tight end, D-end. He could play whatever he wanted to play. He’d be an unbelievable left tackle,” Swinney said. “I’ll definitely have a spot. We have a lot of rev share ready too if he wants to pass up wherever he’s going (after basketball).”

Schieffelin is in training and excited to see what the future holds.

“Maybe I’ll be really good, maybe I’ll be really bad. It’s something that was worth a shot. And being able to put a Clemson jersey on again is really special to me, and to do it this time in Death Valley is going to be amazing.”

–Field Level Media

Clemson football Coach Dabo Swinney talks about the early period National Signing Day players coming to Clemson, at the Smart Family Media Center Wednesday, December 4, 2024 in Clemson, South Carolina.

Dabo Swinney: Clemson grew facing SEC competition instead of ‘XYZ University’

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Top nonconference opponents are a thing of the past for Clemson if the College Football Playoff committee puts no weight on strength of schedule.

Opening the season as the Tigers did against then-No. 1 Georgia in September, for example, might not be as high on Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney’s list of priorities if there is no reward in the committee’s evaluation process for teams that take the risk to play other heavyweights.

But Swinney recognizes his team is far more battle-tested because it took on the Southeastern Conference power.

“We could have scheduled XYZ University and everybody would be real happy on the bus ride back. But I think they had good perspective after that game,” Swinney said Friday on the eve of playing No. 8 SMU in the ACC Championship Game in Charlotte, N.C. “They kept going and have earned the right to be here.”

Swinney said he views SMU as the best in the 17-team conference and would anticipate the Mustangs have the standing resume to earn a spot in the playoff even if they lose to the Tigers on Saturday. No. 18 Clemson, already with three losses, won’t have the same luxury in Swinney’s estimation.

“We have to win the game, for sure, to have an opportunity,” he said. “I think SMU should be in for sure. We’re looking at this game like the first round of the playoffs. That’s how we have to look at it. The season is over. … It’s all about this opportunity. This is what they’ve worked for since January.”

A reflective Swinney said he was encouraged how Clemson matched up physically with Georgia in the 34-3 season-opening loss but lamented penalties that erased big plays. He felt the Tigers were just one play short in a 17-14 loss to South Carolina last week, but also believes the timing was perfect for a reminder.

“We’ve grown. They understand that games like that can be (decided) by two or three plays,” Swinney said. “Hopefully they’ll take that into this game and play their best football in the postseason.”

–Field Level Media

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney reacts near defensive lineman Bryan Bresee (11) after the game at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia Monday, September 5, 2022. Clemson won 41-10. Ncaa Fb Clemson At Georgia Tech

Dabo Swinney, Clemson to use Ella Bresee’s words to inspire

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Ella Bresee left an indelible mark on Clemson coach Dabo Swinney.

Ella, 15, died last week from brain cancer. Her older brother, Bryan, is a standout Clemson defensive tackle, and Swinney led a contingent of players and coaches to her funeral in Maryland on Tuesday.

Swinney told reporters Wednesday that Ella left behind words of inspiration.

“We all can learn from Ella,” he said, going on to describe a letter she wrote about living with cancer. “She said, ‘You know, I have a choice and I choose to have a great attitude and I’m gonna make the best of each day.’”

Swinney said the bottom line of Ella’s message was that you have to love life and “live it to the fullest. And I think to do that, you have to love and you have to forgive and, as Ella said, don’t hold grudges and, you know, have a true appreciation of today.”

Bryan Bresee was with his family following Ella’s death and missed last Saturday’s win over Louisiana Tech. He is expected to play Saturday when the No. 5 Tigers (3-0) meet No. 21 Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, N.C.

–Field Level Media

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney smiles during his summer football camp in Clemson Wednesday, June 2, 2021. Dabo Swinney Football Camp 2021 Day One

Clemson’s Dabo Swinney inks 10-year, $115M extension

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Clemson and football coach Dabo Swinney agreed Thursday to a 10-year extension through the 2031 season worth a reported $115 million.

Swinney, 52, has compiled a 151-36 record with two national championships since taking over midway through the 2008 season. The fifth-ranked Tigers opened the 2022 season with a 41-10 rout of Georgia Tech on Monday.

The deal, approved by the Clemson Board of Trustees on Thursday morning, makes Swinney the second-highest-paid coach in college football behind Alabama’s Nick Saban, who agreed to an eight-year, $93.6 million extension last month. Swinney will earn an average of $11.5 million per season compared to Saban’s $11.7 million.

“Coach Swinney and his family’s impact on our community and department cannot be understated, and his success and stability nationally is truly uncommon,” athletic director Graham Neff said in a news release. “It is critical that Clemson continue to invest in our football program, and ensure our head coach is at Clemson for a long, long time. The best is yet to come.”

Swinney trails only Frank Howard (165) in career wins at Clemson.

He led the Tigers to FBS national titles in 2016 and 2018 and has guided them to seven ACC championships. He is a three-time Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year (2015, 2016 and 2018).

–Field Level Media

Apr 9, 2022; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney during the first quarter of the 2022 Orange vs White Spring Game at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Ruinard-USA TODAY Sports

Brother of Dabo Swinney arrested in South Carolina

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The brother of Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney has been arrested in South Carolina on a charge of sexual exploitation of a minor.

The office of state Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the arrest of Henry Ervil Swinney III, 53, on Thursday. He was arrested on April 23.

Investigators followed up on a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in arresting Henry Swinney, who lives in Clemson. In a news release, Wilson’s office said Swinney, who goes by Tripp, distributed material depicting child sexual abuse.

If convicted of the second-degree felony, Tripp Swinney faces up to 10 years in prison. He is out of jail on a $5,000 surety bond.

In 2016, Tripp Swinney was arrested in Florida on a stalking charge.

“There’s consequences for your actions. If you don’t do the right things, you suffer the consequences,” Dabo Swinney said then. “I’m no different from anybody else, my family’s no different than anybody else. I think the only sad thing is, it’s a story because he’s my brother. You know, if I was Joe Schmoe then you’re not asking me that question.”

He added: “Unfortunately, he’s had a long history of not doing the right things. But I love him, he’s my brother. There’s nothing I can do about it and I done everything I can to be a good brother and help him but that’s his life and those are decisions that he’s made.”

Dabo Swinney, 52, has been head coach at Clemson since 2008 and led the Tigers to two national championships.

–Field Level Media

Clemson wide receiver Justyn Ross(8) stretches near head coach Dabo Swinney during Spring practice in Clemson Wednesday, February 26, 2020. Clemson Football Spring Practice

Clemson WR Justyn Ross (spine) cleared to play

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Clemson receiver Justyn Ross has gotten the OK from doctors to return to the Tigers after missing the 2020 season due to spinal surgery.

Ross, from Alabama, will be a valuable asset for first-year starting quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei, who is tasked with replacing Heisman Trophy winner Trevor Lawrence.

As a freshman in 2018, Ross led Clemson in receiving yards with 1,000, and the following season led the Tigers with 66 receptions. He caught 17 touchdown passes in two seasons.

“Man, he’s so happy. He’s ecstatic,” coach Dabo Swinney said as he announced Ross’ return.

The receiver must go through COVID-19 protocols before he can take part in practice.

Ross was diagnosed with a congenital spine condition and a bulging disk as he was checked out following a collision with a linebacker in spring practice in 2020. He had the condition since birth but was unaware.

Dr. David Okonkwo, a top neurosurgeon based in Pittsburgh, performed the surgery in June 2020.

“A year ago I didn’t think I would put on pads again,” Ross said on March 31, per The State in South Carolina. “So I’m grateful. I’m taking advantage of every rep I get. … I realize how quick the game could be taken away from me. Like my grandma told me, I put everything in God’s hands and went and did everything the doctors and coaches told me to do. … I will be ready to play any time they tell me.”

–Field Level Media

Dec 19, 2020; Charlotte, NC, USA; Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney celebrates with the trophy after winning the ACC Football Championship at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Clemson coach Swinney voted Ohio State No. 11 in coaches’ poll

Posted on | by Field Level Media

On his final ballot of the regular season, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney ranked 10 teams more deserving of one of the College Football Playoff spots than his Sugar Bowl opponent, Ohio State.

Swinney voted the Buckeyes 11th in a ballot for the Amway Coaches’ Poll that consisted of this top four: Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame and Texas A&M.

The 6-0 Buckeyes drew criticism from coaches around the country because of their incomplete schedule, which required a rules change by the Big Ten to permit Ohio State to play in the conference championship game on Saturday.

Swinney also made his feelings evident in an interview with the Rich Eisen Show.

“I think any time you step in between the lines, the game of football, there’s a lot that can happen. A lot,” Swinney said. “I mean, heck, in 2017, we lost to a three-win or four-win Syracuse team and still went to the playoffs. So anything can happen. Guys can get hurt. There’s a lot. So I think the fact that we’re going to have 11 games as well as the SEC teams — I mean, you look at Florida and Texas A&M and Alabama. I mean, these teams are going to have 11 games this year.”

“It’s incredible and I think the Big Ten had the same opportunity and they chose not to play, and I think the only reason they ended up playing is because of the leadership of the SEC and the ACC and the Big 12, and have demonstrated that we can do it and do it in a safe way. So it’s been an unbelievably challenging season, that’s for sure. But I think that the committee’s going to have some tough, tough, tough questions to answer.”

He continued: “Obviously, as coaches, we don’t control any of that stuff. So I do think that our team has played incredibly well. We had a double-overtime loss at the No. 2 team in the country now in Notre Dame, who’s a great team and an unbelievable game. Again, no matter what happens for Notre Dame or Clemson, nothing changes in my mind, as far as both of these teams being in the top four.”

Alabama head coach Nick Saban argued Sunday that, while Ohio State is talented, the psychological toll of the elongated season and the physical challenges of playing a full SEC schedule made for an uneven playing field.

The chorus of challenges was echoed by A&M coach Jimbo Fisher, whose 8-1 team had one loss — much like No. 4 Notre Dame — but wound up in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 2 against No. 13 North Carolina.

CFP selection committee chair Gary Barta contended Sunday during the bowl pairings announcement that there was “no dissension” among committee members about placing Ohio State at No. 3. The Buckeyes will play Clemson Jan. 1 in the Sugar Bowl.

Notre Dame lost only to Clemson in the ACC championship game. Texas A&M lost to Alabama.

No. 1 Alabama faces No. 4 Notre Dame in the other CFP semifinal on Jan. 1 in the Rose Bowl, which will be played at Arlington, Texas, because of COVID-19 issues.

–Field Level Media

Nov 7, 2020; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney signals to his players in the second quarter against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

Swinney disputes claim that ACC protecting Tigers, Irish

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney dismissed comments from Southeastern Conference commissioner Greg Sankey that criticized the Atlantic Coast Conference for not making Swinney’s Tigers and Notre Dame play makeup games on Saturday, an open date for each team.

The Fighting Irish (10-0) sit second and the Tigers (9-1) are third in the College Football Playoff poll, so the open date makes sure neither team sustains a loss that could damage their ranking, as they head into the ACC championship game on Dec. 19.

“If the ACC was trying to really protect Clemson and Notre Dame, why would we even play a game this week? I mean, if six wins can get you in the playoff, shouldn’t nine get you there? Shouldn’t 10 get you there?”

The reference to six wins appears aimed at Ohio State, which is 5-0 and needed a waiver from its conference to be allowed to play in the Big Ten title game because it had not played six games, which was mandated before the start of the season.

The SEC, meanwhile, is on track to have 69 of its 70 conference games played, a pace not matched by other conferences.

“Playing games matters. The Playoff selection committee has said that,” Sankey said Saturday, adding that his teams “are ready to play and have these opportunities. I think playing games matters. Candidly, you take the Texas A&M-Florida game. We added that to our schedule when we went from eight conference games to 10. You take that game away and Florida is undefeated and Texas A&M only has the loss at Alabama and it’s a different world. So the question is – are we going to be rewarded for playing games or rewarded for not playing games?”

Clemson had a game postponed on Nov. 21 at Florida State, when the Tigers were already in Tallahassee and getting ready to play when it was announced that a backup defensive lineman for Clemson had tested positive for COVID-19 and traveled with the team.

Swinney and others accused Florida State of using the announcement as a reason not to play the game.

Notre Dame had a postponement on Sept. 19 at Wake Forest.

“I would’ve loved to play this past weekend,” Swinney said. “I had no problem with that. I didn’t make the decision. We wanted to play when we were down in Tallahassee and were about to get on a bus and go play. Things happen.”

–Field Level Media