Dabo Swinney has seen higher days at Clemson. At 3-5, the Tigers’ longtime coach is in peril of lacking the postseason for the primary time in his 17-year tenure following Saturday’s 46-45 loss to Duke. And he misfired on an ungainly joke with Clemson athletic director Graham Neff in attendance amid a season of frustration that seemingly hit a boiling level inside Memorial Stadium.

“I’ll get fired as we speak, Graham’s sitting there within the again, so I do not know, cannot say I might blame him,” Swinney stated with a smirk throughout his press convention.

Requested to make clear his comment moments after his time on the podium ended, Swinney appeared to proceed his “aww shucks” mantra looking forward to Week 11. It was an conceited transfer by Dabo in entrance of his boss, proving he already has an excessive amount of energy there.

“Shoot, we have got to win some video games,” Swinney stated. “I am simply nervous about attempting to beat Florida State.”

Together with discussing his job standing, Swinney took purpose on the officers following Saturday’s loss, the primary in program historical past when scoring 45 factors. Swinney was particularly upset with the penalty in opposition to his protection on a fourth-down play that gave Duke an opportunity to attain and power additional time, which it was what finally occurred. 

The ACC responded by fining Clemson $10,000 and issuing a public reprimand for Swinney, who stood by his feedback on Sunday. 

“There’s a variety of accountability for coaches and a variety of accountability for gamers, however I do not suppose there’s a lot for refs,” he stated. “There needs to be some sort of capacity to problem a name like that. It simply was very, very irritating. However, as I stated final evening, I do not blame that on the loss.” 

Relating to his future at Clemson, Swinney has been saying comparable issues all season. Following a highway loss to Georgia Tech, he quipped that Clemson has sufficient decision-makers and deep-pocketed boosters to present him the boot if that is their dedication.

“If they need me gone, they’re bored with successful, they’ll ship me on the best way,” Swinney stated. 

In actuality, Swinney is aware of he is protected at Clemson given his storied tenure with 9 convention titles and two nationwide championships together with a $60 million buyout. Neff has lengthy been in Swinney’s nook, even throughout growing cries that the chief of Clemson’s soccer program is not adjusting to school soccer’s new period of switch portal affect and NIL-driven presents in recruiting.

Swinney’s reluctance so as to add gamers from the portal in a number of key spots has been magnified this season for the Tigers, who rank eleventh within the ACC in dashing offense, have struggled to take care of their energy on the line of scrimmage and have didn’t impress defensively attributable to depth points and lack of growth with a number of potential first-rounders underneath first-year coordinator Tom Allen.

It is greater than doable Clemson makes extra employees modifications this offseason, which might proceed a latest pattern underneath Swinney that has not borne a lot fruit. 

🏈 Clemson’s latest teaching carousel

Swinney has not received a playoff recreation at Clemson since dropping within the nationwide championship recreation to Joe Burrow and LSU to finish the 2019 season. And regardless of 4 seasons of 10 or extra wins since, program decline is clear when contemplating the expectation degree Swinney helped domesticate.

What else has Swinney stated about Clemson’s dangerous season?

After an early loss to Georgia Tech dropped Clemson to 1-2, Swinney confronted his first actual questions of 2025 concerning the state of the franchise. He didn’t sound a tone of apology.

“Perspective is vital,” Swinney stated as a part of his reply. “If they need me gone, they’re bored with successful, they’ll ship me on the best way, as a result of that is all we have performed is win. So in the event that they’re bored with successful … we have received this league eight out of the final 10 years. Is that not good? I am simply asking, ‘Is that good?’ I do not know if that is good or not, to win your league eight out of 10 years, to go to the playoff seven out of 10 years, to be in 4 nationwide championships, win it twice.

…

“Hey, hear, if Clemson’s bored with successful, they’ll ship me on my manner, however I am going someplace else to go someplace else and coach,” Swinney added. “I ain’t going to the seaside. Hell, I am 55. I bought an extended technique to go. Y’all going to must cope with me for some time. I bought an extended technique to go. I am simply getting going. I am simply now ok to be a head coach. I am simply now figuring it out. So we’ll be round some time. Let’s hold in there.”

Clemson misplaced six consecutive residence video games relationship again to final season in opposition to Energy 4 competitors and is 13-9 in opposition to ACC does because the begin of the 2022 marketing campaign. Except the Tigers get red-hot over the ultimate weeks and someway handle a spot inside the ultimate high 25, Clemson will end the season unranked for the primary time since 2010.