Analyst breaks down criticism of Clemson’s Dabo Swinney
Dabo Swinney is entering his 15th season as Clemson football’s head coach, and despite two National Championships and seven conference championships, he often faces scrutiny from fans.
Recently, Josh Pate of 247Sports and host of Late Kick Extra, broke down a tweet that cast judgment on Swinney and the future of Clemson’s program.
Posted by @GeorgiaSports32, the tweet reads:
“What is your view on Dabo Swinney and the success he’s had at Clemson. Obviously, he had a part in their 2 national championships, but I’m a believer that [Brent] Venables, Deshaun Watson, and [Trevor] Lawrence are the only reason he’s viewed as such a great coach. Imo, Clemson is on its way down.”
After reading the tweet, Pate immediately defended Swinney for the culture he has developed at Clemson.
“This entire premise [that] Dabo Swinney is only a product of the assistant coaches he’s surrounded himself with and the players he’s recruited, well, that’s all any head coach is a product of,” Pate said.
“Sure, Dabo Swinney’s a product of having really great players. And, sure, he’s a product of benefiting from really great coaches. Who implemented the culture that attracted all of that? Because that’s a head coach’s ultimate job.”
Although Pate defended the culture and winningness of Swinney, he believes that Clemson was stale last season, and the team now faces a crossroads with the departure of Venables and former offensive coordinator Tony Elliott.
In Pate’s mind, Swinney’s decision to promote Clemson’s new coordinators from within now raises the million-dollar question if Swinney can further sustain his success.
“I don’t know if they’re on the way down, but it’s one of the most interesting programs to watch this year because of those elements in play,” Pate said.
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