Clemson Head Coach Imparts Long-Time Philosophy Ahead of Spring Game
Head coach Dabo Swinney has been with the Clemson Tigers for 16 years, and his winning philosophy is going the distance to create the best opportunities for his players.
In a recent interview on the Unafraid Show with George Wrightster, Swinney described the culture that he created with the Tigers. The central point to his coaching style seemed to be focused on creating a curriculum for his players, promoting life-long success.
Many times, Swinney boasted his program’s 98% graduation rate, citing how important it was to win in all ways.
Under Swinney, Clemson has a record of 180-47 with two national championships and nine Atlantic Coast Conference titles. His team’s academic success is has been among the Top 10 for the majority of Swinney’s career.
“Equipping men” is the foundation for the Tigers. Swinney continues on in the interview discussing this foundation, calling his program a “leadership development organization.”
“We invest in them [players] holistically. It’s how we meet. There’s not a meeting we have, ever, that we’re not sewing in the seeds of competitive greatness to life, not just football,” Swinney said. “It’s what we do daily, and we try to transform them through their ball journey. It’s our job to figure out where they are, meet them where they are and then transform their lives.”
With this, it is clear that Swinney’s success comes from somewhere deeper than football. Clemson’s culture is becoming more evident through their prosperity nationally and in the ACC.
Swinney also clears up his stance on the ever-changing business of NIL during this interview, explaining that he values the scholastic portion of college football. He reflects back on his own college career, citing the hours of work he put in to be financially comfortable while playing football.
The Tigers have many players reaping major rewards from the new revenue sharing rules as well as continuing scholarships and endorsements.
Swinney believes in emphasizing and incentivizing education. He hasn’t been the biggest advocate for NIL, but his program speaks for itself. Keeping his focus on the scholastic portion of college football has allowed Swinney to continue his push for more well-rounded student-athletes.
The Clemson head coach even mentioned Deion Sanders and his impact on the world of college football. The first thing Swinney pointed out was that Sanders would not have been able to take on that pivitol coaching job without a degree.
Swinney values the success of his players. On the field, his impact is obvious, but what fans can’t see is the impact and culture that Swinney has built for his players.
