Clemson Tigers' Dabo Swinney Retains Title of Best ACC Coach

The Clemson Tigers head coach is once again considered the best in the ACC.

Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney speaks with media before the first day of Spring practice at the Poe Indoor Practice Facility at the Allen N. Reeves football complex in Clemson S.C. Wednesday, February 28, 2024. / Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Clemson Tigers have one of the best resumes in all of College Football over the last decade and one man receives a lot of the credit.

As Chip Patterson of CBS Sports released his rankings of the best coaches in the ACC, Clemson's Dabo Swinney earned the top spot.

"For all the chatter about Clemson's supposed downfall, the king remains the king in the ACC. Swinney and the Tigers have claimed seven of the last 12 ACC championships, most recently winning in 2022, and account for every one of the league's College Football Playoff appearances since 2015," said Patterson. "Now there is certainly some urgency for bounce-back as last year's 4-4 conference record marks the program's worst since 2010, but expectations of ACC title contention remain heading into 2024."

Swinney has always been a controversial figure in college football, but the results speak for themselves and the top spot is deserved.

Despite not utilizing the transfer portal, the Tigers have remained as one of the best recruiting schools in the country.

In 2024, they finished with the No. 11 class in the country. That was the second-highest ranking in the ACC behind Miami. Clemson is the only school in the conference to have an early spot in the top ten for this upcoming class.

It does make one wonder how successful they would be if they did take advantage of the portal.

Last year was a down year, but it was the first season without double digit wins since 2010. The future is bright, but the Tigers will hope to see an immediate turnaround in the new 12-team College Football Playoff, which they haven't made an appearance in since 2020.

The biggest competition to take the crown would be Mike Norvell out of Florida State. He earned his highest ranking this past season, just one spot behing Swinney and three spots behind in the overall rankings.

The only coaches ahead of him in the country are Kirby Smart and Ryan Day. While Smart is undoubtedly the best coach in football, Swinney does have an argument to land ahead of Day.

Only time will tell if Swinney's refusal to adapt to the modern landscape of football will keep them from progressing further in people's minds or if they will fade behind school's with a new way of thinking.