Dabo Swinney has never wanted to make any personal accomplishment about himself.
Clemson’s affable head coach has been at the helm for many incredible moments given by the Tigers for the past 15 years but is the fastest to give credit first to those who believed in him enough to give him a chance. With Saturday’s win against Wake Forest, Swinney can now say he is tied for the most wins earned by a Clemson head football coach with the legendary Frank Howard.
One more at Miami in two weeks, and Swinney will be the boldest face on the Mount Rushmore of Clemson coaching. Dabo does not like talking about himself. This time, however, there was no avoiding it.
“(Tying Howard) is not really something I want to spend a lot of time talking about, I know I need to talk about it, and the significance of it is not lost on me,” said Swinney after the game.
Dabo Swinney
As much as he may have wanted to avoid the subject, in true Dabo fashion, Swinney regaled the pool of reporters with past stories about how his and Howard’s lives have been intertwined since his youth.
“There are a couple of things I could say, and a couple of things I need to say, and then hopefully we can just move on,” Swinney said. “The first thing I would say is, it’s just a blessing to be a part of it. Most of all, it’s a reflection of all the great players, coaches, support staff that we’ve had. And most of all, it’s a reflection of team.”
Dabo Swinney
Former longtime Clemson sports information director Timothy Bouret, Swinney said, told him that Howard himself had tied the then-wins record himself against Wake Forest. For Swinney, who was named as the Tigers’ interim coach midway through the 2008 season after the firing of Tommy Bowden, never thought it would be a milestone he would reach.
“It’s just so surreal to me to try and process the whole thing because to me, it feels like yesterday we were loading up to go to (Boston College) to try to just win a game,” recalled Swinney. “Just trying to win a game. That literally seems like yesterday to me. I can honestly tell you it’s not something that I dreamed about or ever sought out to do. I dream about a lot of things. This wasn’t one of them.”
Dabo Swinney
In the nearly 15 seasons since he took the helm of Clemson’s football program, Swinney has amassed an overall record of 165-41. With Saturday’s win against Wake Forest, he is 101-21 in conference play, which actually surpasses Howard as the winningest coach of conference games in program history. Howard was 100-48-5 in conference games.
Swinney recalled meeting Howard in his youth at his mother’s birthday party. Their destinies have seemingly always been connected.
Howard and Swinney both won their first games as Clemson head coach on November 1st. Swinney was born on November 20th, 1969, two days before Howard coached his final game at Clemson on November 22nd.
“I don’t think it’s a coincidence that of all the coaches in America, I met Frank Howard when I was probably 10 or 11 years old at my mom’s birthday party at a Holiday Inn,” he said. “My dad rented out a party room at the Hoover Holiday Inn, which was big time back then, and in comes Frank Howard with Bobby Hayes (head of the SWAT team in Birmingham)”
Swinney continued, “Back then Alabama and Auburn would always play at Legion Field and Frank Howard would always come to that game. Bobby Hayes was good friends with my mom and dad. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that I met him, or that my mom and dad had dinner with Frank Howard multiple times. I have a picture in my office of my mom and dad having dinner with Frank Howard in Birmingham. There is no doubt in my mind that God orchestrated all of that and I don’t have any doubt in my mind that God called me to Clemson.”
Dabo Swinney
Of Swinney’s wins at Clemson, many have been among the biggest in school history including two of the Tigers’ three national championships. Swinney believes there are a lot more wins to be had before he is “put out to pasture” as he so often jokes.
Either way, Dabo gives all of the credit to his players who have made up the program that he leads. He is most proud, he said, of the 351 players who have graduated with their degrees, and the 98 percent graduation rate of Clemson’s players, along with their success off the field.
Swinney does not see himself on the level of Howard, but just an extension of the ground laid by those who came before him.
“I truly have stood on the shoulders of giants, and it’s been a blessing to be a part of it,” Swinney said. “Coach Howard is a Clemson legend. It doesn’t matter how many wins I may have or finish up with, there ain’t never gonna be another Coach Howard. Ever. He is Clemson.”
Dabo Swinney
Swinney can now become the all-time winningest coach in Clemson history with a victory at Miami on October 21, the Tigers’ next game following their bye week. While he is appreciative to have had the opportunity to accomplish all that he has, Swinney makes it clear that it is not the quantity of wins that has been most important to him, but the quality of them.
“The win record is cool to be a part of for sure, but I always say what matters more than anything is how you win,” concluded Swinney. “That is what I am most proud of, how we’ve won at Clemson. It’s been my calling in life, and it’s been God’s favor on my life to have the opportunity to be here. This record is shared by everybody who’s been on this journey for the last 15 years.”
Dabo Swinney
