Clemson’s disappointing 2025 ‘Nobody’s fault but mine,’ Dabo Swinney says

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney blamed a disappointing 7-6 season a year ago, saying, “It’s nobody’s fault, mine” for the Tigers’ worst record in 15 years.

The Tigers were ranked No. 4 in the 2025 preseason AP poll and were media favorites to repeat as ACC champions. But Clemson opened 1-3 with an experienced team that featured future NFL draft picks throughout its roster and quickly found itself out of CFP and conference championship contention.

“We didn’t win close games,” Swinney said during a wide-ranging interview that aired on the ACC Network. “We didn’t finish like we needed to in the fourth quarter, and to me it’s nobody’s fault but mine. That’s where coaching has to make the difference, and I didn’t make the difference. I’ve got to get better. … It’s the decision, the staff, the players, the staff is all my responsibility.”

Swinney also addressed the continuing narrative that Clemson is no longer a program equipped to compete for a national championship, defended the culture within the locker room, and said he’s optimistic about taking on the challenges the transfer portal, revenue sharing and NIL bring to sports.

After last season, Swinney made personnel changes — most notably firing offensive coordinator Garrett Riley and hiring Chad Morris, who previously worked at Clemson from 2011-14 and helped lay the foundation for the best run in Clemson history.

From 2015-2020, the Tigers made the playoffs every season, winning two national championships and six ACC titles in that span. Since then, Clemson has two ACC titles and one CFP appearance (2024). Clemson has failed to win 10 games in two of the last three years after winning 10 or more from 2011-22.

These recent results have pundits wondering if Clemson is relevant and in position to win a championship. Counter with Swinney: In this decade, Clemson has 57 wins, which is still No. 7 among all college football teams. Clemson won nine ACC titles in 18 seasons as a head coach. Before his arrival, Clemson last won the ACC in 1991.

“There are a lot of people who talk a lot, and they talk a lot, but they don’t win anything,” Sweeney said. “Actually, I thought we really failed as coaches last year. Those players were great, a talented group, and just a bad job by me. We all have to feel the sting of defeat. We all have to feel the pain of not doing it because it makes you better.”

Swinney has also been criticized for his position on the transfer portal, though he used it more than ever this past offseason, signing 10 players — mostly to fill holes on the defensive side of the ball. One of those players, Luke Ferrelli, decided to leave Clemson and transfer to Ole Miss after enrolling at the school, causing Swinney to publicly accuse the Rebels of tampering.

“Coaches are afraid to say what they really think because they’re worried about criticism. I’m getting over that,” Sweeney said. “It’s exactly what I thought. Chaotic. It’s hard to manage your list. There are no real rules. But I’m also optimistic. I think it’s a great time to lead. I’m not running from the challenge. I think it’s a challenge for everyone, but I’d rather be slow and right than fast and wrong. I believe I’m very measured in the business of how I don’t believe and how I believe. I’m not going to apologize for that.”

He also noted that revenue sharing with players helped “even the playing field” for Clemson.

“The NIL was really tough for us. It was a challenge,” Sweeney said. “Rev share makes it a little bit more equitable there, but then you’ve got NIL. It’s almost like the rev share becomes the floor and then you go from there, but that’s fine. If you take the roster and go out there and say OK how many 5 stars, 4 stars and compare them we’ve won pretty often. We’ve just had to do a great job from a program standpoint — evaluation, development and retention like we always have.”

Regarding the team’s culture, which several former players criticized last season, Sweeney said, “We’re in a great place. Football things can be fixed. That’s our focus now. Sometimes you have to go back to get ahead. But culture-wise, I don’t think we’ve ever been better. We’re built to last.”