The Dabo Swinney to Alabama rumors will never die. Maybe that is good for the sport, as it gives us all stuff to talk about, but the Clemson fan base must hate it at this point.
While this shouldn't add fuel to that rumor-fire, Dabo Swinney will be in Alabama this weekend. Not to take over coaching duties for Nick Saban or to get a better feel for his potential future surroundings. Instead, it is to take part in a national championship celebration.
Alabama will be paying tribute to the 1992 national championship team on Saturday. Swinney, who started his career as a walk-on with the Crimson Tide in 1989, was a member of that championship team. If nothing else, and it is certainly nothing else, he is only going there to be with teammates and celebrate something they all achieved.
For those wondering about the Tigers coach potentially taking over for the Crimson Tide, Dabo Swinney never really shuts the door on that possibility. Here he is just a few weeks ago on a podcast, transcribed by TigerNet.com, talking about this very subject.
They [Clemson] may run me out of here, they’ve [schools] fired Bobby Bowden and Joe Paterno and you name it, so I don’t think about it,” Swinney said. “I just love what I do, whether or not I retire here or not, I have a long way to go. You can retire a lot worse places than Clemson, SC; this place is special. I love it. Who knows what God’s got in store for me down the road. I just kinda take it one day at a time, one year at a time. Hopefully, we can be about the right things and the right way. Who knows what God has planned for me 10-15 years down the road will be.”
Herbstreit pressed him on the issue if he would one day coach at Alabama after Nick Saban hangs it up.
“We just beat them [Alabama] for the National Championship I think,” Swinney joked. “First of all…anybody that would suggest that or say that I am humbled by that and certainly appreciate anybody that would even think that way that they would want me be a candidate for a job like Alabama or whatever. But that’s just kinda the fandom. You know people just naturally make connections and think things like that and they never really consider all factors. I’ve always said you never say never because you never know what the dynamics will be. Ten years from now, Alabama may call me and want me to come to Alabama and Clemson people may hate me at that point. I may have a terrible president or AD. There are dynamics that change. I have always focused on being great at where I’m at and blooming where I’m planted. All I know is there is nothing we can’t do here at Clemson. I don’t have to go somewhere else to win at the highest level.”
Maybe he just stays in Alabama when the celebration is over?
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