Dabo Swinney jokes about ESPN grading his hire at Clemson a ‘D+’ in 2009

When Dabo Swinney was announced as the next head coach of the Clemson Tigers football program in 2009, ESPN believed it was a step in the wrong direction for the program. The mega sports media outlet originally gave his hire a grade of a ‘D+.’

Nearly 15 years later, Swinney is still calling the shots at Clemson, which is considered one of the top programs in college football. Looking back on the grade he received in 2009, the Tigers headman shared a few jokes on the subject while explaining how it was a part of the fuel equation that drove him as Clemson’s head coach all these years.

“I’m almost a C-. I’m moving up,” said Swinney, laughing. “Yeah, that’s in my office. But also you, right beside that, is the reminder, ‘as a man thinks it, so am I.’ You know, it’s not, ‘as other people say it, so am I,’ if you will. And that’s a foundational principle for everybody — to live your life from the inside out. We limit ourselves in life by how we think and by living our life from the outside in.

Since taking over in 2009, Swinney has turned Clemson into a juggernaut, all while collecting several accolades of his own. Clemson has a record of 161-39 in his fourteen seasons at the helm, going 11-8 in bowl games and winning two national championships in the College Football Playoff era.

Swinney has also led the Tigers to eight ACC titles, going 8-2 in 10 conference title game appearances. He has also won ACC Coach of the Year twice, along with being named a three-time recipient of the Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant Award, college football’s highest Coach of the Year Award honor. And that list of accolades has only solidified who Swinney is as a head coach, internally and externally.

“I know who I am, and (I’m) just thankful to still be here. Going on year 15, my 15th full year. And it’s just a good reminder to me to live my life from the inside out and to make sure that you never let outside expectations, outside noise, become greater than your inside purpose and your inside beliefs. Stay focused on what you control and what matters. So it’s a good reminder to me, every single day, where I came from.”

The Clemson Tigers and Swinney are looking to add to the longevity and success of the program this season as the Tigers look to represent the ACC once more in the College Football Playoff. Back when Swinney was originally hired, ESPN didn’t think too highly of the move. But after all the success he has had leading the Tigers, ESPN might have to go back and revise that grade, changing the ‘D’ into an ‘A.’