'Culture is family' for Dabo Swinney and Clemson

CLEMSON — Culture wins in college football.

At Clemson, Dabo Swinney has built one of the best locker room cultures in sports. Since being named head coach after Tommy Bowden resigned in the middle of the 2008 season, Swinney has accumulated a 140-32 overall record, with six consecutive top-five finishes and two national championships.

The proof is in the pudding.

On June 15, Swinney joined Ed Mylett for an interview regarding the 51-year-old’s journey to the top of the college football mountain. The two discussed leadership, faith and building a strong culture.

“Our culture here — we talk about getting everybody all in and committed to being their best in everything they do on and off the field,” said Swinney. “We don’t ever talk being the best — we gotta be our best whatever our best is. If you’re not willing to be committed to that, then you’re never going to have a chance to be the best.”

For Swinney, this relates to the coaching staff, current players on the roster and recruits. The goal is to be the best, but a support system must be there for everyone to lean on. Clemson has a simple sell, but it is one everyone believes in. On Wednesday nights, the coaches will have their wives and children at the facility to show how important family is. This belief in family is the backbone of the football culture at the Allen N. Reeves Football Complex.

A lot goes into Clemson winning championships. (Photo by Mark LoMoglio/Getty Images)

“Our culture is family, creating a family atmosphere,” said Swinney. “So how do you do that? You don’t just say ‘Alright, we got a family atmosphere.’ No, you’ve gotta be intentional about that. Intentional about who you hire. Do they value family? Be intentional about being inclusive — our wives, our kids, they’re here all the time.”

These core values have created a terrific foundation for Clemson football. Due to that foundation, the Tigers have terrific staff continuity, don’t see many transfers leave the program and win big in recruiting and on the field. Communication is key.

“Communication leads to trust and respect,” said Swinney. “You can’t have anything great if there’s not trust and there’s not respect.”

Family and communication are the two pillars inside the Clemson football operation. Thanks to the belief and the work put into establishing both, Swinney has created a college football juggernaut that is an attractive landing spot to some of the top high school football talents yearly.

The Tigers have one of the best cultures in college football and this has led to the program becoming a national brand.