Clemson's culture will win out in a time of upheaval

Swinney built his program on a solid foundation.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Sun Dec 05 08:00:06 GMT-04:00 2021

Culture will win the day. Why? Because it always has.

Pictures surfaced on Twitter Saturday afternoon of Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney and quarterbacks coach Brandon Streeter at 2022 quarterback commit Cade Klubnik’s Texas 6A semifinals game at Darrell K. Royal Stadium at the University of Texas. (Klubnik and his Austin Westlake team rolled Vandegrift for a 70-7 victory and will play Katy in the semifinals next week). I did my best to stream the game and peruse the pics I was seeing, and Swinney had the look of a man at peace. He knows he has a special player in Klubnik, but there is more to his peace than knowing another talented signal caller is headed to Clemson. There is more to it than that.

I keep getting messages...."This feels bad. This feels wrong. What is going on up there? What is wrong at Clemson? What is happening? Well it was a nice run but it's over." That kind of stuff.

We all know fans, by the very nature of the word fanatic, are emotional. I get it. And nothing I can say will probably make you relax a little bit. But I do have a few things to throw out there.

Yes, Tony Elliott may leave for Duke or Virginia. Yes, Brent Venables may leave for Oklahoma. But Dabo Swinney isn't going anywhere. Those Oklahoma people are ridiculous, and as one person told me today (name redacted), "Not one of us want to live in a place called Norman." So forget all of that. That was never an option. I’ve had a great time watching all of the tweets and message board posts that had Swinney accepting the OU job as part of a concert by Drake. Those people are….special.

Clemson could lose one or both or no coordinators and the AD. I believe the AD is gone. I have heard that Virginia has interviewed Elliott and that Oklahoma has interviewed Venables. Elliott faces a tough climb in Charlottesville because he isn’t a Wahoo. Their fan base, and most of their boosters, want former Cavalier Anthony Poindexter, a legendary UVA All-American, and current defensive coordinator at Penn St.

Venables' name has been bandied about since the beginning of the Oklahoma search and we know there was interest on his part. But the longer this goes, it feels like the AD out there wanted to interview coaches in the conference championship games before rendering a decision. So who knows, at this point, what will happen. Just don’t ask an OU insider. They don’t have a clue.

Yes, Elliott is important. Integral. Yes, Venables is important. Integral. Both have meant and still might mean so much to the program. But other schools - like Alabama - deal with this every year. Clemson has been spoiled, not seeing coaches leave for greener pastures. But why do you think Alabama survives the down years and the departures? Because Nick Saban doesn't stray from his way of doing things, and he adapts when he has to.

The faces on the staff change, but Saban is there. And that’s the most important thing. Swinney took over the Clemson program knowing that he had to build a program based not on the best players but on culture. That culture has shown through time and time again. And when you look at the players heading elsewhere, looking for playing time, it’s easy to wonder if there is something wrong with that culture. I don’t think so…I see older players who have been passed over by younger guys. Everyone wants to play, wants to start, and it’s been made too easy for everyone (coaches and players) to bolt for greener pastures. It’s hurting college football, and I’m not sure how that changes.

Will Shipley hinted a few weeks that there was addition by subtraction in the running backs room, that jealousy had gotten in the way of team. And Clemson played better after those reductions. Swinney, and every coach in America, has to find a way to keep young men invested in the program and working towards a common goal. And Swinney has the track record for doing that because the culture has always been so strong.

So in a few weeks, the sidelines at Clemson may look a little different. But these championships were won because of Swinney's vision and the culture he has built. That won't change. The culture is the same and will be the same.

This team will go to work to prepare for the bowl game, and that head coach will still be there. And you better believe that when fans get wound up and emotional and react and over react, and the media does as well, he won't. He has a plan. Always does.

Culture. Count on it.

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney is in Austin today to see commit Cade Klubnik. pic.twitter.com/tfpFIxOgbp
— Jeff Barker (@JeffBarker_) December 4, 2021