Immediately upon news of Nick Saban retiring from Alabama breaking across the internet, lists of candidates to take over the Crimson Tide football program began popping up. (Check out this list of eight prospective replacements from Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde and Richard Johnson.)
Clemson’s Dabo Swinney is one of the names on all of these lists and there’s good reason for that: It’s a natural connection to make. Swinney played at Alabama from 1990 to ’92 under coach Gene Stallings and began his coaching career in Tuscaloosa as a graduate assistant.
Chuck Burton/Associated Press
Swinney has also been enormously successful at Clemson, winning two national championships and eight ACC titles as part of a 170–43 overall record. As a recruiter, he created a pipeline of talent to the NFL including Trevor Lawrence, Deshaun Watson, DeAndre Hopkins, Tee Higgins, Hunter Renfrow, Shaq Lawson, Christian Wilkins and Dexter Lawrence II.
However, some shine has worn off Swinney’s star in recent seasons. Clemson has lost three or more games in each of the past three years. Last year, the Tigers finished sixth in the ACC with a 4–4 record. And there’s growing concern in college football circles that Swinney has failed to adapt to the transfer portal and NIL as necessary tools to stay atop the recruiting wars.
That might explain why a group of Alabama students gathered in front of the statue of Saban outside Bryant-Denny Stadium on Wednesday night were inspired to chant “Anyone but Dabo!” WTVM reporter Brittany Decker recorded a video of the moment:
Students chant “anyone but Dabo!” in front of Bryant-Denny Stadium. @WVTM13 pic.twitter.com/3MPGDt7WQ9
— Brittany Decker (@BrittanyWVTM13) January 11, 2024
Several reporters covering Clemson pointed out that Swinney has a clause in his deal regarding the Alabama job that would increase his buyout to $7.5 million, from the $5 million that the school would be owed if he left for any other program.
Would that make Swinney a more attractive candidate than Oregon’s Dan Lanning, the rumored favorite for the job, whose buyout is $20 million? At least some Alabama students apparently don’t believe so.
