Clemson coach Dabo Swinney completed a woeful year in charge of the Tigers with a Pinstripe Bowl loss to the Penn State Nittany Lions, cementing a 7-6 record after being a preseason top-10 team due to the retention of several senior players. Swinney acted immediately, firing offensive coordinator Garrett Riley and hiring Chad Morris.
In addition, the notoriously transfer portal-shy Swinney aggressively dipped into the market, bringing in 10 players to replenish Clemson’s roster.
Why Analyst Rece Davis Lauds Dabo Swinney’s Transfer Portal Stance
During Monday’s segment of the “2 Right Turns” podcast, ESPN analyst Rece Davis addressed Swinney’s reluctance to use the transfer portal amid freer player movement.
“He has his priorities right,” Davis said. “It’s an extraordinarily difficult thing to do in any profession, particularly in the coaching profession. He cares about his players. There’s a scale, but I think Dabo is at the very top of that scale at wanting the best for his players. He gets all this stuff about the portal as guys have used it a little more.
“To me, I’ve always supported Dabo’s stance because I think it shows who he is. He’s loyal, he wants people to succeed, he wants to give them the opportunity to succeed and he wants to be true to the opportunity he said he would give to them. He understands it’s a business and it’s competition, but he wants to make sure they’re in a fair fight.”
MORE: Jay Hill Demands Immediate Championship Level at Michigan After BYU Exit
Swinney has become renowned for his stance on developing recruits for Clemson and retaining players, rather than overhauling the Tigers’ roster as has become commonplace in college football.
Dabo Swinney Explains His Reluctance to Use the Transfer Portal
In an interview two weeks ago, Swinney finally addressed his reluctance to utilize the transfer portal to improve the Tigers and return them to the elite status they enjoyed in the mid-2010s.
“Coaches are afraid to say what they really think because they’re worried about criticism. I’m way past that,” Swinney said. “It’s exactly kind of what I thought. Chaotic. It’s hard to manage your roster. There’s no real rules. But I’m also optimistic. I think it’s a great time to lead. I don’t run from challenges. It’s a challenge for everybody.
“But I’d rather be slow and right than fast and wrong. I’m very measured in how I go about my business, and I’m not reactive. I believe what I believe.”
Swinney grabbed headlines in January when he publicly accused Ole Miss coach Pete Golding of tampering with linebacker Luke Ferrelli, who had signed for Clemson via the portal, before re-entering the portal and joining the Rebels.
