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There’s no doubt that Dabo Swinney is a good college football coach. He is a remarkable 161-38 with two national titles, making him one of the best coaches in this era.
But, he’s also one of the least likable figures in all of sports. The smarmy 53-year old Alabama alum often comes off as arrogant and full of himself.
He’s said and done some wild things over the years. He once said in 2014 that he would quit coaching if players started to get paid. Yet, NIL is here, and he is still coaching.
“We try to teach our guys, use football to create the opportunities, take advantage of the platform and the brand and the marketing you have available to you. But as far as paying players, professionalizing college athletics, that’s where you lose me. I’ll go do something else, because there’s enough entitlement in this world as it is.”
Meanwhile, He’s making around $10 million a year to coach players he doesn’t think deserve a dime.
And, in the midst of Black Lives Matter Protests that swept the nation and sports in 2020, Dabo thought it was a good idea to wear this shirt.
It appears the tweet was deleted. Here you go. pic.twitter.com/wwcuEWZ8dh
— Elika Sadeghi (@elikasadeghi) June 6, 2020
But, he may have outdid himself at his signing day press conference Wednesday. There, he made what I consider to be one of the most smarmy, Joel Osteen prosperity-gospel-lite quotes I have ever seen. It’s so ridiculous that at first, everyone thought it was a parody.
Dabo Swinney described what NIL means at Clemson, with a corny, conceited twist
Most coaches will have press conferences on early signing day. They will praise their recruits and won’t say much else. But, ol’ Dabo had other ideas.
247 Sports reporter Anna Adams, who covers Clemson, tweeted out this quote from the press conference.
Dabo: “We built this program on NIL. Probably different than what you’re thinking though… we built it on God’s Name, Image, and Likeness.”
— Anna Adams (@AnnaH247) December 21, 2022
When I first read this, I thought it was parody. There’s no way he said that. I know he is completely deluded and allegedly uses the idea of God’s favor toward Clemson as a recruiting tool. But, this is a step further.
But, it’s real. And, the actual clip is worse. He just can’t wait to get it out in the most smarmy way possible.
Yep, Dabo said that #NIL pic.twitter.com/rbWlImYcZU
— zach ragan (@zachTNT) December 21, 2022
My goodness. He is completely insufferable. Not to mention, Clemson is a public institution, theoretically not having an official religion.
People on the internet literally could not believe it.
Jesus Dabo. Be normal once https://t.co/4NIksndwlg
— Big Cat (@BarstoolBigCat) December 21, 2022
This sounds like something a college football podcast making fun of Dabo Swinney would claim he said yet somehow it is a real quote. https://t.co/ezGxFAeHyK
— ben (go birds) (@VT_Ben) December 21, 2022
Over the last couple years, 100,000 people have posted versions of this joke. If asked which coach would be first to say it for real, all 100,000 would’ve guessed Dabo. Then he did it
— Jason Kirk (@thejasonkirk) December 21, 2022
Just when you think someone like Russell Wilson can’t get any cringier with the stuff he says here comes Dabo Swinney saying “hold my holy water.”
— CJ Scalzetti (@CJGoon) December 21, 2022
I’m sure God told Dabo that the head coach is the only one that should be getting paid
— SCPluto (@SCPluto) December 21, 2022
He is truly the absolute worst. Let’s hope Clemson slides back into the pit of mediocrity they came from.