CHARLOTTE, N.C. — At the ACC Kickoff, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney looked as relaxed and energized as ever, even with another season looming. After guiding the Tigers to a 10–4 record in 2024, an ACC Championship, and a College Football Playoff berth, Swinney is embracing both the past and the future — with his program and his family.
When asked about the experience of coaching his sons as kids, Swinney lit up. While he never got the chance to coach them in football until they came to Clemson, he spent over a decade leading their travel baseball teams.
“It was awesome,” Swinney recalled. “We did a travel ball team for 12 years, and it was just so much fun. I was probably way tougher on them than I’ve ever been on my football players, but it gave me the chance to instill the things I wanted them to carry with them on their journey.”
That journey eventually brought his sons into the Tiger program, and Swinney admitted that being their head coach was less about personal involvement and more about trust in Clemson’s holistic development.
“It really wasn’t about me coaching them,” he said. “It was about knowing they were getting what every other kid before them got at Clemson. That was special to watch.”
Now, his two oldest sons have chosen to pursue careers in coaching. Swinney calls it their “family business” and takes pride in seeing them discover the grind for themselves.
Balancing life as a high-profile coach and as a father has always been a challenge, but Swinney said he and his wife Kathleen leaned on faith and simplicity.
“We’re a faith-based family, and we kept the main thing the main thing,” Swinney said. “When I got the head coaching job, my kids were still in elementary school. We stayed in the same house I had as an assistant until my oldest graduated high school. We wanted their lives to feel normal.”
That grounding has carried into adulthood. Two of the Swinney sons are now married, and the family remains close-knit.
No. 4 Clemson heads into the 2025 season with incredibly high expectations after falling to Texas in the CFP first round. The Tigers are fifth nationally in wins over the past five years, but the narrative outside the program has often questioned whether Clemson remains among the elite.
Swinney shrugged off that talk.
“It’s amazing how things change in 12 months,” he said. “Last year we weren’t picked to win the league, and people said our quarterback stunk. Now people are talking like we’ve got the Heisman Trophy and 22 first-rounders. None of that matters. You can’t predict your way into a championship. You’ve got to earn it.”
The Tigers’ roster is loaded with returning talent, including senior quarterback Cade Klubnik (3,639 yards, 36 TDs in 2024) and wideout Antonio Williams (75 catches, 904 yards, 11 TDs). Swinney is especially high on Adam Randall, who battled through injuries early in his career and will transition to running back this season. Randall is the expected starter for the Clemson - LSU game next weekend.
“Adam Randall is the epitome of a Clemson man,” Swinney said. “If he stays healthy, I think he can be one of the coolest stories in college football this year. He deserves it.”
What excites Swinney most, however, isn’t just the talent on the field — it’s the bond in the locker room.
“In an era where players can leave anytime they want, these guys chose to stay,” he said. “They love this place, and they love each other. That’s powerful.”
As Clemson prepares to open the 2025 season with a high-profile showdown against LSU at Memorial Stadium, Swinney’s message is clear: don’t believe the outside noise, good or bad.
“You’ve got to stay grounded,” he said. “Whether people are talking you up or tearing you down, it doesn’t matter. You’ve got to go do it. And I can’t wait to get started.”
_68bedd63.png)
