Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney has received a rather aggressive take before opening the season.
Right now, Dabo Swinney's sole focus is on preparing the Clemson Tigers for their season opener at LSU this Saturday, but there is no question that rampant speculation is also swirling around his future heading into 2026.
While Clemson has shown no indication that Swinney is on the hot seat, some feel that the two-time national championship-winning coach should be.
Nicole Auerbach of NBC Sports went as far to predict that this will be Swinney's last season coaching the Tigers.
“My bold prediction is that this is the final year we see Dabo Swinney at Clemson,” Auerbach said. “We had talked a lot about him in this era, not really embracing the transfer portal and not really embracing NIL. Huge disappointment last season.”
It's true that Swinney has been slow to accept the transfer portal and NIL, but things definitely changed for the 56-year-old this offseason.
In fact, Clemson bagged 11 transfers over the winter, and it would have been 12 had Ole Miss not stolen away linebacker Luke Ferrelli.
And yes, the Tigers were a big disappointment in 2025, going 7-6 and losing to Penn State in the Pinstripe Bowl in spite of entering the year with national title aspirations.
But my goodness, can Swinney get any grace?
Between 2011 and 2022, Clemson posted 12 straight double-digit win campaigns. It also made it to four National Championship Games, winning two of them, between 2015 and 2019.
There is no question that the program has fallen off a bit the last several seasons, and the Tigers have not won a playoff game since January 2021.
But you would think Clemson would be willing to give Swinney some leeway considering everything he has done for the school.
Now, if the Tigers come out and go 4-8 this season, then perhaps that could change things. But I have a hard time seeing that happening.
Clemson has two really tough matchups at LSU this week and then at home against Miami in October. Otherwise, the Tigers' schedule is very manageable.
I also believe many are underrating Clemson's talent in general.
Has Swinney lost some of his luster? Sure. Do I think this will be his last season? Unless he himself decides to walk away, absolutely not.
