Clemson's Dabo Swinney: 'We Hit Every Single Goal but One'

Dabo Swinney had a lot to say about last year's Clemson squad that fell one game short of another national title appearance.

While the taste of defeat in the Sugar Bowl was still festering, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney is ready to move on to a new challenge, with a new team in 2021.

"Obviously, we're all super disappointed in how the (2020) season ended but you know what, unless you win it all, you always are a little bit disappointed," Swinney said. "And, you know, I know this too, when you're a part of a program where people are disappointed to win the national championship, that means that you're at a special place."

Regardless of the outcome, Swinney was grateful for everything and everybody that put in the effort to make 2020 great for Clemson, despite new challenges to all of college football.

"(I'm) disappointed, but another great year. Incredibly, incredibly proud of our 2020 team, and everybody's contributions that we had," Swinney said. "From the players, leadership, our staff, our administration, medical people...I mean it was a challenge like we've never had (before). And you know, something that I'll forever be grateful for, is all that went into it. I'm just so proud of that team. We hit every single goal but one, and that was to win the closer."

The loss to Ohio State can also take away from the fact that Swinney and the Tigers still played an incredible season in the face of a new opponent: COVID-19. 

"We finished third overall in the country and we had 10 wins," Swinney said. "There were three power 65 teams out of the power 65 that won 10 games, and that was us, Alabama, and Notre Dame. So just really proud of our guys, and all that went into an incredible accomplishment any year to win 10 games, but to be able to do it under the circumstances that we had to manage last year. Just a credit to everyone involved. We won the ACC, we got back to the playoff for our sixth year in a row, and a lot of great things."

Despite the loss, Swinney has turned Clemson into a program Tiger fans could have only dreamed about a decade ago, racking up more awards and trophies in his 11-year tenure than every other Clemson coach in history combined.

"But I do know this, we're off to a lot better start this decade than we were back in 2010, that's for sure. But, it's never about the destination," Swinney said. "Never is, even if you get to the place that you're trying to get to, it's not about that. It's always about the journey. And that's what you always remember, and I can just say man, it's been an amazing journey to this point, in my time here at Clemson, and every year is a new journey. It's been a blessing to be a part of it."

Swinney, ever the optimist, still believes that "the best is yet to come" for the 2021 team, and for the program as a whole as long as they are willing to use the loss in 2020 as a learning moment instead of a crutch.

"I know we got a lot more great moments ahead that's for sure," Swinney said. "But again, we're off to a better start this decade, than we were back in 2010. Churchill has a quote that I've always loved, that says 'Success is not final. Failure is not fatal. It's the courage to continue that counts.' And I've always believed in that. And for us it's continuing to grind, it's continuing to learn, it's continuing to grow, It's continuing to believe, and it's continuing to serve. It's always about what's next, that's been our philosophy for a long time. Always about what's next. And what we have ahead of us is a new challenge, and we're excited."