Clemson's Will Swinney on dad Dabo: "He is invested here"

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney with sons (l-r) Will, Drew and Clay earlier this year. Dabo says family is what kept him in the coaching business.

by Brandon Rink - Staff Writer - Sat Dec 30 22:44:17 GMT-04:00 2017

Given the opponent and a media opportunity with all players and coaches Saturday, the topic of a future return of Clemson coach Dabo Swinney to his alma mater Alabama was bound to come up.

The interview of interest Saturday came with freshman receiver, holder and oldest Swinney son, Will.

"I wouldn't say I necessarily see that happening," Will Swinney told reporters (longer quote via Al.com). "We love it at Clemson; he's invested here. Alabama already has so many championships and stuff. What else do we want to do? We're building something really special here, and my dad helped create that and has a bunch of good staff around him. He loves it here."

The elder Swinney was asked about the possibility back in September on an ESPN podcast, affirming his love for the school but also saying "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," Swinney said to further the point. "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."

The Clemson coach was asked during his press conference Saturday about the dynamics of coaching his son and how his family has affected past career decisions, especially when he considered getting out of the coaching business.

"I just felt like I was sacrificing my family. And I just told Kath (Kathleen Swinney), I said, 'Kath, I can't do this anymore,'" Swinney recalled. "And I came home. So we had this family meeting. And I got (my sons) Will, Drew, and Clay sitting on the bed, feet just kind of hanging over the bed.

"And they're just looking at me. And Will was probably, I don't know, 7 or 8. And I just told them, 'Listen, I just want y'all to know, y'all are the most important thing in the world to me. I love y'all, And your dad can do a lot of things. And I'm going to get out of coaching, and I'm going to get a job where I can coach your teams and be home on the weekend. And I just don't want to miss this opportunity to be a great dad.'

"And, you know, they're looking at me like (demonstrating.) When I got done with my big speech -- I had this

big speech ready -- they look at me and go, 'But, Daddy, if you're not a coach, we won't get to know the

players and we don't get to ride the bus.'

"And all of a sudden God used my kids to speak to me and impact me literally. And all of a sudden my kids start

opening my eyes to all the things -- I was focused on the things that we didn't get to do. God used my kids to get me to focus on the things that we do get to do and that they got to do. And a whole different lens and perspective that I didn't have. I was just focused on what I was missing out on and this and that.

"So that was a life-changing moment for me. It really was. So through these boys' mouths and their experiences

that they had had, they started telling me, 'Dad, we love you being a coach.'"