Tyler from Spartanburg draws Dabo Swinney offsides
TIGERILLUSTRATED.COM EXCLUSIVE: Tyler talks
Tyler from Spartanburg set Clemson coach Dabo Swinney off.
During his weekly radio show on Monday, the troll caller asked Swinney about his lucrative $115 million contract that pays him around $11 million annually through 2031 especially as Clemson is 4-4 this season and struggling after back-to-back losses to Miami and NC State.
It was then that Swinney went on an extended five-minute rant about Clemson’s success, its two national championships, his personal success in life and in sports and so much more.
It was glorious.
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In some ways, good for Swinney for taking a stand. In another way, it showed just how much stress the Clemson coach is under as the Tigers struggle in an ACC that is not the best Power Five conference this season. There are definitely issues like lack of playmakers, lack of utilization of the transfer portal and more but Swinney went on the defense.
“I’ve listened to enough of you,” Swinney told Tyler from Spartanburg.
“You’re part of the problem. That is part of the problem. It’s people like you, the expectation is greater than the appreciation.”
He went on - and on and on.
“The fun used to be in the winning,” Swinney said. “But now even when you win people like you complain and criticize the coaches and question everything. When I hired Tony Elliott to be the offensive coordinator who never called a play in his life I’m sure you were critical then and he took us to two national championships.
“People like you who love to destroy people with your comments. I’m sure you never made any bad decisions. I’m sure you lived a perfect life. I’m sure you’ve led a bunch of people.
“I started as the lowest-paid coach in this freaking business and I’m where I am because I’ve worked my ass off every single day. And I’m not going to let some smart-ass kid get on this phone and create this stuff.
“If you have a problem with that, I don’t care. I work for the board of trustees, the president and the AD. If they’re tired of me leading this program, all they have to do is let me know. I’ll go somewhere else where there is an appreciation.”
Swinney has more than a leg to stand on. The Tigers have 12-straight 10-win seasons, an undefeated season in 2018, three 14-1 seasons, two national championships and two other appearances in the national title game. Swinney got the job in 2009; Clemson’s last 10-win season before his arrival came in 1990.
And Clemson commits don’t seem to be going anywhere.
“My dad was a head coach for a long time,” four-star linebacker Sammy Brown said.
“He has heard every insult in the book. So I’ve been in this circumstance before and it does not bother me. I committed to Clemson for a reason and it’s because I trust the process and the coaching staff there right now. Not every year is going to be the best and some years are meant for pruning.”
Four-star receiver Terrance Moore said: “It’s stupid. Every team has an off season. This just happens to be Clemson’s.”
The remainder of the schedule provides some landmines with Notre Dame, Georgia Tech, North Carolina and South Carolina left.
This isn’t the dream season for the Tigers by any stretch but Swinney has a history of winning - winning big - and certainly not failing.
That’s exactly what Swinney told Tyler from Spartanburg - and basically every other Clemson fan griping out there.
“There’s not one thing in my life that I’ve ever failed at, Tyler,” Swinney said, with the emphasis on Tyler. “Never. Ever. I wanted to get an education, I got two degrees. I wanted to be the first in my family to graduate college, I did it. I wanted to play football at Alabama, I earned a scholarship, lettered three years, worked my ass off, won a national championship. I wanted to get into coaching, I worked my way to being a head coach and when I got this job and I’m sure you didn’t want me to get this job and 15 years later I’m still here, I’d say the results are what they are and I stand on them.
“You don’t ever have to call back. I wanted to get married, I’ve been married going on 30 years. I wanted to be a father, I’ve raised three great sons. If you don’t like how I run the program, don’t be a fan. I don’t care. But I’m the head coach and I’m going to do what I believe is right for the long term of this program, what’s best for the players and what I think is best for the moment.
“If you have a problem with that, that’s fine but I’m not going to sit here and let you call out, I don’t give a crap how much money I make. You ain’t going to talk to me like I’m 12 years old. You gotta be freaking kidding me.”