How Swinney, Tigers Are Built to Overcome Adversity

From program philosophies to returning talent to coaching continuity, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney has the Tigers primed to be a strong national title contender on the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic sports shutdown.

From “Bring Your Own Guts” to “windshield mentality” to “best is the standard,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney has never been short on catchy motivational phrases.

In fact, you can find “Daboisms” on the internet and T-shirts, and while some of them could make you shake your head, it’s during these times that they’re especially effective with his team.

The two-time national champion coach and leader of a program that’s made five consecutive College Football Playoff appearances is all about positivity, accountability and relatability. His sayings permeate everything and everyone at Clemson, from his staff to his players, and it’s part of the foundation that’s helped turn the Tigers into a perennial powerhouse with the likes of Alabama, Ohio State, LSU and Oklahoma.

“We've, I think, been consistent with our philosophy and our approach, and then we've had continuity, and when we've had changes, been able to get the right people in the right place,” Swinney said. “But if I had to say one thing, just belief, from where we started the decade, with a vision, and then just staying the course throughout that time.”

There’s no question it’s worked for a head coach who’s won 69 games the last five seasons, the most in all of college football. What Swinney has done, and how he’s done it, has given him the faith to overcome an entirely new and unforeseen obstacle.

Since sports and college campuses shut down in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, coaches across the country have tried to figure out how to prepare for the 2020 season without being with their players, without enforcing their philosophies face-to-face and integrate technology into their everyday football activities.

In most cases, they had very limited spring practices or none at all, and when and how student-athletes return to campuses and resume athletic activities is still unknown.

It’s going to make for an unprecedented season this fall, but while some programs are scrambling to catch up or implementing an entirely new coaching staff, Swinney and the Tigers are going about their business full-steam ahead in anticipation of winning their sixth ACC title and making an unprecedented sixth CFP berth.

“This is a challenge for everyone and how we accept that challenge is going to determine our success when we get to the other side of this stuff,” Swinney said last month. “But I love the mindset that we have. The leadership has been great, and the communication has been unbelievable. Our strength staff’s done a wonderful job.”

Swinney, like most coaches, has adapted to Zoom meetings with as many as 180 people on them. His staff has worked around the physical preparation by making sure players have access to weights, stay on their regulated diets and closely followed the workout plans from the strength and conditioning coaches.

“The program leadership and planning is strong, and we are working on a return-to-campus protocol,” Clemson athletic director Dan Radakovich said. “It's a program built on developing student-athletes on and off the field.”

It’s also built on commitment, which is something Swinney has not had to question about his team.

“The reason we've been a great program is because of leadership, accountability, responsibility and discipline,” Swinney said. “Those are things that are so important right now.”

Clemson was one of the youngest teams in college football last year, meaning the Tigers return a ton of talent and experience off a 14-1 team.

“The greatest thing about Dabo Swinney is he doesn’t think like everybody else. He’s two or three steps ahead of the competition. That’s what makes him a great coach.” — Reggie Merriweather, former Clemson running back.

Sideline reporter for Clemson Tigers Radio Network and former Clemson running back Reggie Merriweather played when Swinney was a receivers coach with the Tigers. Merriweather has watched the development of the program under Swinney and is very close to several staff members. 

He says having so many players who have either won a national title or came so close last season in a loss to LSU is a motivating factor when it comes to preparing for the season on their own.

“These guys know what’s at stake,” Merriweather said. “They want another ring. They want another trophy.”

And they actually had most of their spring practices. The Tigers got in nine of their 12 workouts before spring break. Compared to many of their opponents, that’s a huge advantage. Clemson’s biggest game in 2020 is at Notre Dame, which got one spring practice in before the shutdown.

Swinney said Clemson, a preseason No. 1 candidate, was able to get most of its installation complete and is actually ahead of where last year’s squad was at this time.

“I think we were able to make a lot of great progress,” Swinney said. “We got a lot to do and but you know this whole deal that we're going through right now has created a unique challenge for us as a football team and I tell you, I knew that we had great people, but to see everyone rise up and adapt and find a way to still be great, it’s been really special to be a part of.”

While you can also point to returning stars like quarterback Trevor Lawrence, running back Travis Etienne and receiver Justyn Ross as reasons why Clemson will come out better on the other side, the Tigers also have strong coaching continuity. 

The lone loss from last year’s staff is Jeff Scott, a co-offensive coordinator and WR coach who left to become the head coach at USF. But Swinney promoted Tyler Grisham, a former Clemson player, into the receiver role, gave QB coach Brandon Streeter more responsibility as passing game coordinator and let Tony Elliott continue to be the primary OC and play-caller.

Not much really changed in terms of staff dynamics. Recruiting hasn’t dropped off one bit: Clemson currently has the third-best class in the country, according to 247Sports Composite rankings, with 11 commitments already.

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney runs a drill with the receivers at a spring practice earlier this year

And maybe one of their greatest strengths as a program in uncertain times is Swinney’s ability to overcome adversity. He grew up in poverty and saw domestic abuse split up his family. Swinney walked on at Alabama, eventually earning a scholarship, a national title and a graduate assistant job from legendary coach Gene Stallings.

He had to take a job outside of football for a while selling real estate before he could land at Clemson with Tommy Bowden. And then he took over as an interim coach in 2008, using a win over rival South Carolina to secure the full-time job. He went on to win Clemson’s first conference championship in 20 years in 2011.

He turned BCS bowls and 10-win seasons with Sammy Watkins, DeAndre Hopkins and Tajh Boyd into national titles with Deshaun Watson, Mike Williams and Isaiah Simmons.

All of that has Clemson poised to overcome the adversity of COVID-19 and continue to thrive when college football begins again.

“The greatest thing about Dabo Swinney is he doesn’t think like everybody else,” Merriweather said. “He’s two or three steps ahead of the competition. That’s what makes him a great coach.”