Dabo Swinney made national headlines last season following Clemson’s 4-4 start. During a weekly call-in broadcast following a loss to NC State, a young fan named Tyler criticized the head coach.
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During that conversation, Tyler went after Swinney, questioning if he deserved his $11 million contract while criticizing the team’s on-field performance.
Swinney responded with a brutal evisceration, calling him a “smart-a-kid” in a rant that lasted more than five minutes.
“You are part of the problem. If you wish to apply for the position, go ahead. Good luck to you. To answer your question, I began as the lowest-paid coach in our profession. I worked my a- off. I’m not going to let this smart a- kid call and tell me how to do my job.
“If you have an issue with that, that’s OK. But I’m not going to sit here and take your call. I don’t care how much money I make. You’re not going talk to me like I’m twelve years old. “You have got to be kidding me.”
—Dabo Swinney
There was a lot of speculation following that phone call. Some claimed Tyler was a Dabo Swinney ploy to energize the Clemson team.
If that was the case, the plan worked, as the Tigers closed the season with a five-game winning run.
According to Chapel Fowler of The State, Swinney may not have the opportunity to tear his critics in the upcoming season.
Clemson could make a change to Dabo Swinney’s call-in show.
Ahead of the 2024 Clemson football season, the athletic department is considering many adjustments to coach Dabo Swinney’s famous weekly radio show. One thing the “Tiger Calls” may not include is live callers.
Although Swinney will continue to speak on the radio show on Monday nights throughout the season, Clemson is now finalizing a number of changes to the broadcast. An athletic department spokeswoman informed The State that the school has yet to make a final determination on whether Swinney will take fan calls.
The athletic department may limit access to the head coach, but it maintains that this is not in response to Tyler from Spartanburg’s phone call.
Many college football coaches have abandoned the live call-in approach, preferring to break down the previous week’s game footage without interruption from criticism.
Swinney, who rarely chews his tongue when confronted by fans or the media, may benefit from the situation.
