Clemson coach Dabo Swinney had been rumored as a prime candidate to ultimately substitute Nick Saban at Alabama for years. The connection was a fairly pure one—the Tigers coach is a local of the Yellowhammer State and a Crimson Tide alumnus, having performed extensive receiver on the college earlier than serving as an assistant coach there to start his teaching profession.
Swinney grew to become a thorn within the aspect of his alma mater early within the Faculty Soccer Playoff period, defeating Alabama within the 2016 and ’18 nationwide championship video games. There aren’t many energetic faculty soccer coaches with that sort of pedigree, and it was honest to wonder if the Crimson Tide job could be the one that would pluck Swinney away from the Clemson program he constructed right into a nationwide energy.
Saban’s retirement proved that wasn’t the case. In line with a number of experiences, Alabama reached out to Swinney the day after Saban opted to step away, however talks between the 2 sides weren’t substantial. A day later, Washington’s Kalen DeBoer took over the Crimson Tide.
Clemson athletic director Graham Neff is clearly blissful Swinney stays in his make use of, and he sees the curiosity from Alabama as a critical credit score to the sort of program that Clemson has constructed.
“It was only a nice testomony to Clemson,” Neff instructed The State. “It’s one thing that Dabo and I talked so much about whereas that [Alabama] transition was occurring. He has an extended reminiscence in a great way. He’s occurring his sixteenth 12 months [as coach] and 20 years at Clemson. That assist that Clemson has proven to him and Clemson soccer over these 20 years … that provides up and that issues.”
After just a few years out of school soccer, working in actual property, Swinney joined the Clemson workers in 2003 as extensive receivers coach, ascending to go coach in ’08 after former Tigers coach Tommy Bowden was fired at midseason. However even along with his deep Alabama roots, it’s clear Swinney’s allegiance lies firmly with Clemson at this level.