Clemson AD Explains Why Alabama Interest in Dabo Swinney Was ‘Testament’ to Tigers

The Clemson Tigers coach, a former player and assistant for the Alabama Crimson Tide, reportedly shut down interest after brief talks with his alma mater last month.

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney had been rumored as a top candidate to eventually replace Nick Saban at Alabama for years. The connection was a pretty natural one—the Tigers coach is a native of the Yellowhammer State and a Crimson Tide alumnus, having played wide receiver at the school before serving as an assistant coach there to begin his coaching career.

Swinney became a thorn in the side of his alma mater early in the College Football Playoff era, defeating Alabama in the 2016 and ’18 national championship games. There aren’t many active college football coaches with that kind of pedigree, and it was fair to wonder whether the Crimson Tide job would be the one that could pluck Swinney away from the Clemson program he built into a national power.

Saban’s retirement proved that wasn’t the case. According to multiple reports, Alabama reached out to Swinney the day after Saban opted to step away, but talks between the two sides weren’t substantial. A day later, Washington’s Kalen DeBoer took over the Crimson Tide.

Years before Nick Saban’s retirement, Clemson’s Dabo Swinney had been seen as a logical choice to replace him at Alabama :: Jevone Moore/IMAGO

Clemson athletic director Graham Neff is clearly happy Swinney remains in his employ, and he sees the interest from Alabama as a serious credit to the kind of program that Clemson has built.

“It was just a great testament to Clemson,” Neff told The State. “It’s something that Dabo and I talked a lot about while that [Alabama] transition was happening. He has a long memory in a good way. He’s going on his 16th year [as coach] and 20 years at Clemson. That support that Clemson has shown to him and Clemson football over these two decades … that adds up and that matters.”

After a few years out of college football, working in real estate, Swinney joined the Clemson staff in 2003 as wide receivers coach, ascending to head coach in ’08 after former Tigers coach Tommy Bowden was fired at midseason. But even with his deep Alabama roots, it is clear Swinney’s allegiance lies firmly with Clemson at this point.