Inside the Mind of Chad Morris: On Dabo Swinney, Quarterbacks, and the ABCs of Success

Editor's note: Former Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris joined the program to share candid thoughts on Dabo Swinney, the art of quarterback play, and the mental framework behind his coaching philosophy that still echoes through Clemson’s program today.

Dabo Swinney — A Receiver’s Heart and a CEO’s Vision

When asked about Dabo Swinney’s offensive mind and where he falls on the spectrum between offensive and defensive coaches, Morris didn’t hesitate.

“By heart, if you cut Coach open, he’s a wide receiver guy. He loves wide receiver play,” Morris said. “I’d sit in there and listen to him step in and coach those wide receivers or make corrections. Next thing you know, his shirt’s full of sweat because he’s that passionate about it.”

While Swinney is known as a big-picture program builder, Morris highlighted the former receivers coach’s deeper football intellect.

“He’s forced himself, over time as a head coach, to dive into that defense and know, ‘Okay, this is what causes us problems on offense.’ He’s really good about sharing that with the defensive side of the ball,” Morris explained. “That’s a great perspective he brings to the defensive side of the game.”

And while Swinney has never been a coordinator, Morris said his fingerprints are still on the game-day flow.

“Many times, Coach would say, ‘Hey, what do you think about a shot here?’ or ‘What about a screen or a naked?’ He’s involved, but not meddling. Deep down, he’s a wide receiver guy—he knows it inside and out.”

Developing Quarterbacks — “It All Starts With Your Feet”

From Baker Mayfield to Deshaun Watson, Morris’s reputation as a quarterback developer traces back to his earliest coaching days in Texas high school football.

“I played quarterback in high school, and I loved it,” Morris said. “Even when I was five or six years old, I could name every NFL quarterback for every team.”

As the game evolved toward more passing offenses, Morris found himself at the forefront of that change—helping shape future stars like Jevan Snead, Garrett Gilbert, and Michael Brewer. But whether in Texas or at Clemson, his teaching always started with one principle: mechanics begin from the ground up.

“Quarterback play—it all starts with your feet,” he emphasized. “Everybody thinks it’s the arm—nope. It goes feet, then hips, then eyes, then arm. Through the eyes is your mind and how you process. The last thing is your arm.”

That philosophy, he said, defines who succeeds under pressure.

“If you can’t process, I don’t care how far you can throw it—you can’t play quarterback. You’ve got to be able to process in a split moment.”

The ABCs of Focus — From Deshaun Watson to the Clemson Punter

One of the most lasting imprints Morris left on Clemson’s culture may not be a playbook concept but a mental one. His “ABC routine”—a three-step mental reset used by quarterbacks to stay composed—remains in use years later.

“It’s interesting you say that,” Morris said when told Clemson’s current punter, Jack Smith, still uses it. “I was talking to Chandler last week about his ABCs—he’s had it on his wristband forever, since Deshaun did it.”

The idea came from a sports psychologist Morris worked with during his time at SMU.

“We talked about narrowing things down—you can’t get lost climbing the mountain; you’ve got to take one step at a time,” he recalled. “We said, we’ve got to focus on three things, and eventually we’ll get to that mountain.”

Morris incorporated it into daily practice at Clemson.

“I’d go around the room and say, ‘Tajh [Boyd], what’s your ABC today?’ ‘Deshaun, what’s yours?’ ‘Cole Stoudt, what is it?’ They’d have to tell me three things. Then at the end of the day, we’d talk about—did we hit our three things?”

For Morris, it’s more than a mental exercise—it’s a grounding philosophy.

“There are so many momentum changes in football. You’ve got to have something to bring you back to home base. For us, home base was our feet—and our ABCs,” he said. “I still use it myself almost every day. ‘What are the three things I’ve got to get done today?’”

Dabo’s Fire Still Burns

Morris closed the conversation by reflecting on Swinney’s recent comments about his future and his ongoing energy for the game.

“He’s got more energy, more passion, and more drive right now than he’s ever had,” Morris said. “He knows he can impact kids’ lives through a program that’s been the model across college football for years.”

While fans may wonder how long Swinney will keep coaching, Morris doesn’t see him slowing down anytime soon.

“He’s not going away. That’s the fire,” Morris said. “And you know what—you want your staff to look around and say, ‘If this guy at 55 can run circles around a 32-year-old, something’s wrong.’ It’s a pick-me-up for everybody.”