CLEMSON — From an outsider’s perspective, it might appear that Dabo Swinney is adapting to the changing landscape of college football.
Historically, Clemson’s use of the transfer portal was minimal, limited mostly to acquiring backup quarterbacks. This offseason, however, Swinney brought in a 6-foot-5 wide receiver and two edge defenders from other programs.
When coordinators Jeff Scott, Tony Elliott, and Brent Venables departed for head coaching positions, and offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell retired, Swinney initially chose to promote from within. But when Brandon Streeter, Wes Goodwin, and Thomas Austin didn’t meet expectations, he turned to external hires.
As Swinney introduced Tom Allen as Goodwin’s replacement, he was asked whether these decisions signaled a shift in strategy—an effort to bring fresh ideas to a program long known for its insular approach.
“I do what I always do,” Swinney said. “I do what I think is best for Clemson.”
Swinney acknowledged he’s “far from perfect,” a fact his wife Kathleen could confirm. He admitted to making mistakes and striving to learn from them.
However, he pushed back against claims that he or Clemson have fundamentally changed.
Swinney remains committed to prioritizing high school recruiting and player retention, supplementing those efforts with targeted additions from the transfer portal.
“I don’t run anybody off … if they’re not good enough, that’s our fault,” Swinney said. “It’s till graduation do we part. Period. The end.”
Regarding his staff, Swinney reaffirmed his belief in promoting from within when possible, despite setbacks with recent internal hires.
“That’s a part of having a great culture, that you can promote from within,” Swinney said.
Whether Swinney is undergoing a genuine evolution or simply adjusting on a case-by-case basis remains to be seen. In hindsight, it may turn out that he hasn’t changed much at all.
Swinney has long placed trust in coaches others might deem inexperienced—just as former athletic director Terry Don Phillips did when he elevated a 38-year-old receivers coach named Dabo Swinney to Clemson’s head coaching role.
Jeff Scott, a former graduate assistant, became Clemson’s receivers coach in 2008 and helped establish the program’s reputation as “WRU.” The move was a success.
When Swinney parted ways with offensive coordinator Billy Napier in 2011, he didn’t consider Scott ready for the promotion. Instead, he looked outside the program and hired Chad Morris, an ex-high school coach with one year of play-calling experience at Tulsa. That decision also paid off, as Morris spent four successful years at Clemson before becoming a head coach at SMU and later Arkansas.
Another pivotal external hire was Brent Venables, who joined Clemson as defensive coordinator in 2012 after over a decade at Oklahoma.
Swinney views his recent decisions through a similar lens, though external observers have struggled to reconcile his loyalty to “Clemson men” with the program’s declining ability to meet championship expectations.
After Tyler Grisham replaced Scott, the receiving corps experienced a noticeable drop-off. Recruiting setbacks at running back marked the early tenure of CJ Spiller, who succeeded Tony Elliott. The offensive line struggled to maintain cohesion under Thomas Austin, and the offense as a whole stagnated under Brandon Streeter’s direction.
There have been glimmers of improvement. Grisham brought in promising talents like Antonio Williams, Bryant Wesco Jr., and TJ Moore. Spiller has secured four-star recruits in consecutive cycles.
Even so, Swinney’s track record with internal promotions has been far from flawless—a reality he acknowledges.
“When I don’t make the right decision, I try to grow from it, learn from it, and correct it,” Swinney said. “I just try to do what I think is best for Clemson in the moment and what’s best, mostly, for the long term. If it turns out to not be the right decision, you’ve got to change it.”
Swinney remains committed to promoting from within when feasible but has also demonstrated a willingness to pivot and take big swings when needed.
To replace Streeter, he hired Garrett Riley, TCU’s offensive coordinator and a key figure in their national runner-up season. When Austin struggled, Swinney convinced Matt Luke, a former Ole Miss head coach and Georgia offensive line coach, to come out of a brief retirement.
Perhaps Swinney’s boldest gamble was elevating Wes Goodwin, a longtime analyst with no experience coaching position groups or calling plays, to defensive coordinator. While Goodwin showed promise—earning a Broyles Award nomination in 2023—the defense faltered, allowing 4.7 yards per carry in 2024. Swinney admitted he had put Goodwin in a challenging position.
“Nobody works harder than Wes, and it just didn’t work,” Swinney said. “And that’s my fault.”
Taking responsibility included buying out $3.1 million of Goodwin’s contract and signing Tom Allen to a $6 million, three-year deal. Allen, the former Indiana head coach, coordinated Penn State’s defense during its College Football Playoff run. Though he had connections to Clemson through Matt Luke and shared an agent with Swinney, Allen’s hire marked a departure from the program’s usual ties to ACC country.
Allen’s arrival adds to a recent trend of external hires, including defensive line coaches Chris Rumph and Nick Eason. However, this doesn’t signal a wholesale shift in Swinney’s philosophy.
Swinney remains resolute in his commitment to developing players rather than “running them off.” He continues to reward assistants with opportunities when he feels they’ve earned them.
“These principles have always been and always will be,” Swinney said. “I’ve made thousands of decisions since I got this job 16 years ago, and hopefully, I’ve made a lot of good ones. But sometimes you don’t make the right decisions. Ultimately, you’ve got to own those things.”
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