Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers have gone through a massive disappointment to kick off the 2025 college football season. After starting off the season considered to be one of the nation’s top championship contenders, the team has not come close to living up to that hype.
After falling to the Duke Blue Devils last week, Clemson now holds a 3-5 record. That has led to mounting frustration.
Plenty of rumblings have come up about the Tigers potentially parting ways with Swinney. That seems to be unlikely to come in a firing form, but could the two parties choose to part ways mutually?
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That is something that has been brought up as a potential option for Swinney.
Paul Finebaum, a polarizing college football analyst and reporter, spoke out with a strong opinion on the matter. He urged Swinney to consider getting out of town and leaving Clemson.
“Every time I talk about Dabo, somebody takes it the wrong way. But, nobody here is suggesting Dabo Swinney be fired,” Finebaum said. “I am strongly suggesting Dabo Swinney get out of there, though. It’s gotten so bad, and I hate to see a Hall of Fame coach act that petulant and that poorly, and I don’t have any doubt he can find a job. And, sometimes, you just have to move on.”
He continued on, sharing more about his belief that Swinney should begin planning his journey out of the program.
“We’ve all been there or known someone who has been there. And, I think his agent should look around and say, ‘OK, which one of these openings would be fun for me? Where can I go—meaning Dabo Swinney— Where I can just hit the restart button and quit being a cranky get-off-your-lawn guy and make these self deprecating jokes about getting fired?’”
Since taking over as the Tigers’ head coach back in the 2008 season, Swinney has led the program to an impressive 183-52 record. He has also led the way to two national championship games. That is a big part of the reason that the school likely would not fire him.
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However, Swinney working his way out at Clemson might make sense. Or, he could choose to stick it out and try again next year.
Only time will tell, but the 2025 season has been nothing short of a massive disappointment for Swinney and the Tigers.
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