Swinney responds to Steve Smith comments from hoops trial |
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said he was "disappointed" in comments related to Clemson football that came up in a trial around an FBI investigation into college basketball scandals.
Longtime Clemson basketball assistant Steve Smith was recorded referencing Clemson football after reportedly saying he would "work it out" with Zion Williamson's stepdad and discussing Williamson's recruitment with subjects of the investigation. "That's why football is so successful, is if you do it and use resources at Clemson, like you can really keep everything tight," Smith was recorded saying. Swinney told reporters at a Prowl & Growl event in Florence Thursday that Clemson coach Brad Brownell apologized for the possible implications of wrongdoing in his program. "I'm just disappointed because I know how we run our program and I'm very proud of how we run our program," Swinney said. "We've always been a program committed to doing things the right way and always will be." Clemson athletic director Dan Radakovich said Friday both that he was "very confident" that Clemson basketball runs a clean program and that they didn't find anything that "implicates the football program in any of that." "I think we feel very strongly that those were unfortunate comments," Radakovich said Friday. "We are doing our due diligence, but there is no reason to believe in what we've been able to find that implicates the football program in any of that. It was a very unfortunate choice of words." Dabo Swinney asked by @KacyHintz about his program being mentioned during NCAA Basketball corruption scandal.
Clemson assist. hoop coach Steve Smith, "That's why football is so successful, is if you do it and use resources at Clemson, like you can really keep everything tight." pic.twitter.com/uHDPMEDoWn

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