He is the head football coach at Clemson University. [35] Clemson received an invitation to play Oklahoma in the Russell Athletic Bowl on December 29, 2014. He was fired with all of DuBose's staff in early 2001. They earned a trip to the Orange Bowl, their first major-bowl appearance since the 1981 national championship season. Before Swinney became a dancing, "BYOG" national sensation, he and his mother were struggling to make ends meet and did what they had to do to survive. [20] Defensive coordinator Kevin Steele was fired after the game. Clay is one of three sons and has played football and baseball at a competitive youth level. Once more details are available on who he is dating, we will update this section. He also took over as recruiting coordinator from popular longtime coordinator Rick Stockstill. Ervil Swinney quickly plummeted into a … Dabo Swinney is certainly at the top of the college football mountain. Each was in the other's wedding party, and Donnelly makes it to at least one Clemson home game each year. Ervil Swinney, Dabo's father, battled alcoholism and struggled after a family business went south. She is better known as the wife of Dabo Swinney, the head coach of ‘Clemson Tigers Football Team.’ ... Kathleen is a proud mother of three and wants her sons to follow in their father’s footsteps. The 31–17 loss to the rival Gamecocks was a record fifth straight for the Tigers, the longest winning streak for South Carolina in the series. Dabo Swinney makes $9.3 million per year as coach of Clemson's two-time national champion football team. [33], Swinney completed his best season as Clemson's head coach in 2015, leading the Tigers to a 14-1 record with an ACC championship and an appearance in the national championship game. But the son of Dabo Swinney has made a … Carol would wake up first to head to her job in Birmingham while Dabo would get ready for school and football practice. His family had no money after his father's business failed when Dabo was in high school. "He wasn't embarrassed about it; he wasn't ashamed about it," Donnelly told AL.com. [5], Swinney was named the interim head football coach on October 13, 2008, after head coach Tommy Bowden resigned six games into the season. During a time that offers the most freedom one will ever have, Dabo was forced to share a bed with his mother. [61], American football coach and former player, Swinney coaching the Clemson Tigers in 2015, 1992 Alabama Crimson Tide football—consensus national champions, 2016 Clemson Tigers football—consensus national champions, 2018 Clemson Tigers football—consensus national champions, College Football Playoff Semifinal at the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl, "The age old debate continues on how to correctly pronounce "Clemson" - YouTube", Former Alabama player, assistant Dabo Swinney will face beloved Tide on Saturday, Bowden ousted at Clemson; coach 'deserved' to be fired, QB says, Swinney ready to move forward at 'full speed', Clemson turns to Swinney for remainder of season, Interim Clemson boss Swinney introduces 'Tiger Walk', https://www.espn.com/college-football/recap?gameId=282920228, "Clemson now a Top 15 recruiting mainstay", "Swinney survived rocky start as head coach to build football powerhouse at Clemson | Sports", "ESPN's 2008 Rating of Clemson's Hire of Dabo Swinney is Hilariously Bad", "2009 NCAA College Football Polls and Rankings for Week 16 - ESPN", "After losing season in 2010, Swinney thought run was over - News - GoUpstate - Spartanburg, SC", "After 2010 loss to USC, Swinney received vote of confidence", "Five Prominent College Football Coaches On the Hot Seat For 2011", "Chick-fil-A Bowl 2012: Les Miles and Dabo Swinney's 5 Best Presser Moments", "West Virginia routs Clemson in record-setting Orange Bowl", "Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation - Past Winners", "LSU Tigers vs. Clemson Tigers - Recap - December 31, 2012", "2013 Clemson Football Media Guide & Supplement", "South Carolina makes it five in a row against Clemson", "Ranking All 35 College Football Bowls for 2013: From Must-See to Must-Miss", "SOLID ORANGE: No. Donnelly has already fielded a lot of questions about who he'll be rooting for in Monday's title game. They won the ACC championship and lost the 2021 Sugar Bowl (2021 CFP Semi-Final) to the Ohio State Buckeyes by a score of 49-28. [52] The Tigers faced #4 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl for the first round of the playoffs. In his first game as the full-time head coach, he lost the 2009 Gator Bowl to the Nebraska Cornhuskers 26-21. Dabo Swinney was born in Birmingham, Alabama, on November 20, 1969 to Ervil Swinney and Carol. Eventually, Ervil was more than $250,000 in debt. 12 Clemson or No. In 2011, Swinney led the Tigers to a 10–3 record that included an ACC Championship, the Tigers' first since 1991. It was a move of necessity. [58], While a student athlete at the University of Alabama, his mother stayed with him in an apartment off campus after the mother son team lived in near homelessness his senior year of high school.[59]. On one of them, Swinney wrote to his father… The Clemson Insider noted that Swinney’s childhood was tough. [4] He retained these posts under Stallings' successor, Mike DuBose. It was still an unusual setup, but it meant no more sleeping in either the same bed or room for the Swinney family. After the game, Swinney recalled the Tigers' lopsided loss two years before in the Orange Bowl and the team's journey since then. Swinney is a Christian. We're 22–4 since that night. Nolan Turner's interception of Justin Fields clinched Clemson's return to play for a national title, a remarkable moment for an unheralded recruit whose late father was a friend of Dabo Swinney's. Donnelly and Swinney have remained close friends since their year living together in Tuscaloosa. It was at Apartment 81 that the unusual living arrangement began in Tuscaloosa during Dabo's sophomore year. Will Swinney knows the scrutiny of playing for his father at a high-profile football program like Clemson. Said Dabo: "It was a little different at first, but again, when you're in the middle of situations in your life, you just make the best of it.". 3 seed in the College Football Playoff and slated to meet No. It allows him to work with the Clemson marketing program to sell items with Dabo’s name on them. Swinney was involved in Greek Life during college, and was initiated as a brother of the Pi Kappa Alpha chapter at the University of Alabama. He earned a scholarship and lettered on three teams (1990–1992), including the Crimson Tide's 1992 National Championship team. Dabo Swinney on how his family has shaped his career Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney talks about raising a family as a college head coach and discusses the moment he almost gave up coaching. Donnelly isn't surprised by Swinney's football success, but that's because he wouldn't be surprised by anything his friend did. Father and son were reconciled by the time Dabo was a senior at Alabama. Swinney’s 2019 Tigers picked up where the previous year’s team left off, running the table, including wins over Southeastern Conference opponents Texas A&M and South Carolina. Dabo Swinney is the head coach of the premier college football program in the nation, is in search of his third national title and is the highest paid coach in college ... he is a father . He is a junior and serves as the holder on the kicking team. Ervil Swinney, Dabo's father, battled alcoholism and struggled after a family business went south. Dabo Swinney son, Will, was the first to follow his father's footsteps. [33] The Tigers started the season ranked #16 but suffered early setbacks with losses to #13 Georgia and #1 Florida State. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your California Privacy Rights (each updated 1/1/21). [40] Swinney was named Associated Press Coach of Year, Walter Camp Coach of the Year, Home Depot Coach of the Year, and the Paul "Bear" Bryant Award. Dabo Swinney: Bio, Age, Education. The Clemson Insider noted that Swinney’s childhood was tough. "[19] The comment proved to be prescient as #15 Clemson would go on to lose to the #23 West Virginia Mountaineers, 70–33, conceding an all-time record number of points scored in a quarter (35), half (49) and game (70) in the 109-year history of bowl games. In 2010, Swinney led Clemson to a 6–6 (4–4 in ACC) regular season. In 2013, Swinney trademarked his own name. The 2021 Clemson tigers will open the 2021 season in Charlotte, North Carolina against the Georgia Bulldogs on September 4, 2021. [53] Clemson finished #4 overall in the final standings and were ranked in the top 10 throughout the entire 2017 season. "If he decided to go into business, he'd be a CEO. [41] The 2015 Tigers set a record for single-season wins under Swinney with 14. [3] He received his degree in commerce and business administration in 1993 as well as a master's degree in business administration from Alabama in 1995. It allows me to use my life experiences to impact young people and to serve God through what I do. Donnelly was readying himself for the next stage of his life, had a girlfriend in Birmingham who would later become his wife and wasn't much interested in going out. They would win their final seven regular season games by an average scoring margin of 41.7 points, and their streak of six straight wins by 35 points or more is the longest such streak of the modern era. [5], Swinney sat out the 2001 season while receiving his contractual payments from Alabama. [48] The Tigers also posted big wins in the season with a 14-6 win over #13 Auburn,[49] a 47-21 victory over #14 Louisville,[50] and a 31-17 win over #12 Virginia Tech. Swinney proved to be both an excellent wide receivers coach as well as recruiting coordinator, coaching ACC-leading receivers and being named one of the nation's top 25 recruiters in 2007 by Rivals.com. It was Dabo's dream to play football at Alabama but the only solution to make it work financially was for Carol to live with him for the majority of his college career. It didn't come easily. As Ervil fought his demons, Dabo and his mother were on their own. He first played football when he was only 6 years old. [42] Swinney once again recorded a banner season as Clemson's coach, leading the Tigers to a 12-1 regular season record and another ACC Championship, the third in Swinney's career. [57] Swinney won his fifth straight ACC Championship (and sixth overall) with a dismantling of Virginia in the championship game (although they were unable to hold Virginia under 300 yards of total offense [387]). The senior safety in Gene Stallings' program decided to live with a former teammate who now served as a graduate assistant. Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney was in attendance of the U.S. men's national team to watch Tanner Tessmann and the Americans rout Trinidad & Tobago 7-0 on Sunday. With a reputation as a top-notch recruiter, Swinney was chosen over Clemson defensive coordinator Vic Koenning (former head coach of Wyoming), and associate head coach Brad Scott (former head coach of South Carolina). And it has been a journey to get back. [2] In three seasons at Alabama, he caught 7 passes for 81 yards. Clemson also defeated #4 Oklahoma 37-17 in the Orange Bowl for its first college playoff appearance. Ervil Swinney, the father of Clemson coach Dabo Swinney, passed away Saturday afternoon in Pelham, Ala. They lost the national championship game to the LSU Tigers by a score of 42–25. Clemson dominated #7 Miami 38-3 in the ACC championship game and secured the #1 seed in the College Football Playoffs. The award was established in 1976 to honor the values that Dodd exemplified. Donnelly knew about Dabo's previous living arrangement and was aware of what he was getting himself into. Education & Professional Life. The Tigers finished 10–3 for the season and ranked 15th in both the AP and the Coaches Poll. Dabo didn’t have money to attend college, but he walked on to the football team at Alabama, eventually earned a scholarship, and won a national championship in 1992. His father was an alcoholic, his parents divorced, and Dabo and his mother spent time without a home. The regular season was highlighted with the finale against South Carolina in which Clemson broke a 5-game losing streak to the Gamecocks to win 35–17 in Death Valley. On a radio show this week, a 15-year-old fan named Jordan asked Swinney what he’d say to himself at age 15. Morris brought in a fast-paced, up-tempo offense that shattered many Clemson offensive records. // Famous Miscellaneous. [22], Swinney was the 2011 winner of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award, which was established to honor the NCAA Division 1 football coach whose team excels on the field, in the classroom, and in the community. Swinney took over as head coach of the Clemson Tigers football program midway through the 2008 season, following the resignation of Tommy Bowden. Ervil Swinney, Jr. age 70 of Calera passed away Saturday, August 8, 2015. It's why having a female roommate a few decades older than him didn't bother him at all. After Dabo became a graduate assistant on Stallings' staff, he "got fancy" and moved into a three-bedroom house with Donnelly. If he went into coaching, he'd be a head coach. "It's a win-win.". [24] The Tigers finished the year at 11-2, ranked 9th in the Coaches Poll and 11th in the AP poll. With his friend pitted against his beloved school, Donnelly is taking the Switzerland approach. "It was really some of the happiest times of my life because we were together, we were safe and we were happy," Carol said. During a pre-game ESPN interview prior to the 2012 Orange Bowl, Swinney said, "Hopefully when this thing is over, people are going to be talking about the Clemson defense. So you might think he would like to see his players paid for their work. He was born in the year 2003. It wasn't as unusual as some of the articles would make you think.". Alabama defeated Clemson 24-6. He has plenty of reasons to root for his former teammate and roommate as Swinney goes for his first national championship. Like many famous people and celebrities, Dabo Swinney keeps his personal life private. Donnelly fondly remembers a pasta dish she'd frequently make. Clemson finished the 2018 season undefeated and won the 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship, defeating Alabama 44-16. At the time of writing this article, Swinney was 16 years old. Dabo Swinney grew up in Alabama, walked-on for the Crimson Tide and coached on the Alabama staff, ... Swinney's father Ervil was a huge Crimson Tide fan and passed that along to his son. After the conclusion of the regular season, many fans called for the firing of both Swinney and athletic director Terry Don Phillips. The Tigers won 38–35. Whistles screeched in the background as Swinney talked about how he longed for his own father Ervil's approval. The 2013 season marked the first time Clemson had back-to-back 11-win seasons. "It was actually nice," he said. And we are the first team from the state of South Carolina to ever win a BCS game," Swinney said. Clemson ended the season ranked #2 in both the Associated Press and Coaches Polls. [12], Despite his recruiting reputation, Swinney was an unpopular hire among some Clemson fans. She was a great cook.". [45] Following Clemson's ACC title win over #19 Virginia Tech, the Tigers secured the #2 seed in the College Football Playoff. Clemson's two regular season losses were to top 10 opponents, national champion Florida State and South Carolina. 1", "Alabama Beats Clemson to Set Up All-S.E.C. "It wasn't her wish to say I have to come down here and live with my son," Donnelly said. Two of Dabo Swinney Son are also working as Wide receiver too. [9] Swinney's first actions as interim head coach were to fire offensive coordinator Rob Spence and introduce a new tradition, the "Tiger Walk", where all players and coaches walk through the parking lot outside Memorial Stadium about two hours before a game as they head inside for final game preparations. [6] The Tigers had started the year ranked #9 in the preseason polls, but then went 3–3 (1–2 ACC) in their first six games. His father was an alcoholic, his parents divorced, and Dabo and his mother spent time without a home. All these decades later, Swinney is just a win away from facing off with the school he was raised on once again on the biggest stage. In December 1995, Swinney received his MBA from Alabama and became a full-time assistant coach for the Crimson Tide in charge of wide receivers and tight ends. [7] At the time he was informed of his promotion, he was working with the wide receivers on their upcoming game.[8]. The one close call came in Week Five, a 21–20 road win over Mack Brown’s North Carolina Tar Heels. She was always cooking in bulk, not knowing how many of Dabo's teammates would cram themselves into the tiny two-bedroom place for a home-cooked dinner. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Personal Life. [11] On November 1, 2008, Swinney claimed his first victory as the Tigers' head coach by defeating Boston College, breaking Clemson's six-game losing streak against the Eagles. [17] Discontent with Swinney grew even more after a bowl loss to South Florida made Clemson's final record 6-7, Clemson's first losing season since 1998. [21], Part of Swinney's success the past three years was the 2011 offensive coordinator hire of Chad Morris, who was originally seen as a risk as most of his coaching experience had been on the high school level. Rather than create resentment, it brought mother and son closer together. [29] The Tigers defeated the Buckeyes 40–35 to give the Tigers' their third Orange Bowl win in their history and their first BCS bowl victory. She dealt with it and made the most of it. Trivia. Following the season, Swinney agreed to eight-year, $27.15 million contract and guaranteed if Swinney was fired in the next three years. "If he decided to go into politics, he'd be a president," said Donnelly, who now works as president of Prime Surgical LLC. and Clemson Reached the Championship on Opposite Tracks", "Here's why Dabo Swinney brought his mom with him to college", "Clemson Football Coach Dabo Swinney Shares Testimony at ACC Kickoff", "Clemson Football Coach 'All-in' for Christ", Associated Press College Football Coach of the Year Award, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dabo_Swinney&oldid=1007237900, Coaches of American football from Alabama, Players of American football from Alabama, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 17 February 2021, at 03:16. Carol told Yahoo Sports after Clemson's Orange Bowl win she wouldn't "trade anything for it.". "Hey, listen: Two years ago we got our butts kicked on this field. In them I found, as expected, a number of lessons to be learned from head coach Dabo Swinney. [38], On April 12, 2016, Swinney signed a six-year contract extension with the Tigers. He got his nickname ‘Dabo’ from his 18-month-old older brother who tried to call him ‘The boy’, which sounded like ‘Da Bo’. [27] The completion of the season marked 32 wins over three years for Swinney, the most ever in such a span in Clemson football history. He's worked Clemson summer football camps for more than a decade for Swinney. Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney spoke freely about his faith earlier this week, encouraging one young man to make faith in God the center of his life. Swinney led the Tigers to national championships in 2016 and 2018. He led the Clemson Tigers to their first championship since 1981. Championship Game", https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2019/01/08/clemson-makes-bid-to-be-considered-best-team-ever/38860923/, "College football power rankings for Week 14", "Lawrence, No. Dabo Swinney says Clemson "got our butts kicked," J.K. Dobbins says the gap is "pretty close" with Bama, a walk-on follows in his father's footsteps, and more. The Tigers finished the season ranked in the top 10 in both polls (#8 in AP, #7 in Coaches), the first such achievement for Swinney as head coach. In 2013, Swinney trademarked his own name. [23], In 2012, Swinney led Clemson to its first 11-win season since the 1981 national championship year, capping the year off with an upset victory over the #8 LSU Tigers in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. In 2013, Swinney guided the Tigers to their third 10-win season in a row, the first time since 1989. [37] Ironically, defensive coordinator Brent Venables had held the same position with the Sooners until coming to Clemson in 2012. During his time as an undergraduate at Alabama, Swinney was twice named an Academic All-SEC and SEC Scholar Athlete Honor Roll member. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend. Swinney was a finalist for the third time in his career for the Liberty Mutual National Coach of the Year.[25]. Of the 6 losses in the 2010 season, 5 were by less than 10 points and 4 were by 6 points or less. 7 Ohio State will redeem themselves in Orange Bowl clash", "Clemson Tigers vs. Ohio State Buckeyes - Recap - January 03, 2014", "Clemson, coach Dabo Swinney agree on eight-year, $27.15 million contract. [38], Swinney's last three bowl wins have been over college programs that have all won national titles since 2000. And they are, he says. The situation didn't give him much pause because of Dabo's positive attitude to everything he did. I devoured post-game coverage, video clips, and news articles outlining Clemson’s climb to the top. I sincerely mean that because of his leadership, his positivity and his vision and plan.". [51] Later in the season, a 24-10 win over Georgia Tech gave Swinney his 97th career win at Clemson, vaulting him past Danny Ford to become the second-winningest coach in school history. If he went into the military, he'd be a five-star general. Their only loss of the year was to the Pitt Panthers, losing on a last second field goal and snapping their 15-game home winning streak. Ervil Swinney, the father of Clemson coach Dabo Swinney, passed away Saturday afternoon in Pelham, Ala. Obviously, I love the Swinney family. Clay Swinney is the son of the famous football coach William Christopher ‘Dabo’ Swinney. They lost to Notre Dame in the regular season in double overtime. Two of head coach Dabo Swinney’s sons, Will and Drew, are on the roster. [31][32], Under Swinney, Clemson had their fourth 10-win season in a row, making them one of only four schools to achieve the feat in the last four seasons. Swinney was raised in Pelham, Alabama, and attended the University of Alabama, where he joined the Crimson Tide football program as a walk-on wide receiver in 1989. It was no one's ideal scenario but the proud Pelham native didn't let it bring him down. At Ervil Swinney's old store, M&M Hardware Store in Alabaster, Alabama, pictures of Dabo Swinney still hang on the wall. The Tigers defeated #8 North Carolina 45-37 to win their 15th ACC championship. [30] The win was Swinney's fourth victory over a top ten opponent as a head coach. Crown", "Auburn vs. Clemson - Game Summary - September 9, 2017 - ESPN", "Clemson vs. Louisville final: Tigers contain Lamar Jackson in big road win", "Clemson at Virginia Tech score, highlights: Tigers make a legit case for No. As Ervil fought his demons, Dabo and his mother were on their own. The former teammate's mother was moving in, too. Dabo and his mother shared a room and a bed each night for three years. ", It's not something many young men would want to do, either. [34] However, with the emergence of freshman quarterback Deshaun Watson, the Tigers only lost one more game to ACC Coastal Division Champion Georgia Tech, which Watson started but did not finish due to injury. They defeated the Buckeyes, 29–23, to advance to the national championship game on January 13, 2020. [26] The highlight regular-season win came against #5 Georgia in the season opener. Dabo Swinney Height: American Football coach Dabo Swinney height is 6.2 feet. 2-seed Ohio State in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl. Dabo Swinney Kids: He has three kids with his beloved wife named as Will Swinney, Drew Swinney, and Clay Swinney Dabo Swinney Kids are also curious to follow the footsteps of their beloved father.

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