Urban Meyer on Dabo Swinney's job status: 'Dabo goes when Dabo wants to go'

Dabo Swinney has taken more than his fair share of heat amid a disappointing 1-3 start to the 2025 season after Clemson entered the year with national championship aspirations and a No. 4 preseason ranking. But beginning with a 17-10 home loss to LSU in Week 1, things have gone downhill quickly for Swinney and the Tigers.

That includes back-to-back losses to open ACC play to put the defending league champions behind the eight-ball in this season’s conference title race. After a week off, Clemson (1-3, 0-2 ACC) returns to ACC play on Oct. 4 at North Carolina, which has faced its own issues in the first season under six-time Super Bowl champion coach Bill Belichick.

An emotional Swinney acknowledged the Tigers have experienced “a lot of pain” already this season following last Saturday’s disappointing 34-21 loss at home to Syracuse.

“Obviously it was a very disappointing outcome and start to our season,” Swinney said after the game. “No other way to say it. There’s no other way to say it. A lot of pain. I’ve been in a lot of painful locker rooms and that was up there near the top. Man, my heart just hurts for my team and our fans. Thought our fans showed up today and did a great job. We just couldn’t get it done.”

Those struggles have led some to criticize Swinney’s refusal to outright embrace NIL and the NCAA Transfer Portal, with others flat-out calling for his job. Of course, as one of only two active head football coaches with multiple national championships on their resume, Swinney’s job status isn’t in serious doubt.

Former Ohio State and Florida national championship-winning head coach Urban Meyer said as much during this week’s episode of The Triple Option podcast with fellow Big Noon Kickoff co-hosts Mark Ingram and Rob Stone.

“Dabo goes when Dabo wants to go. That one is a done deal, and I think he’ll adapt a little bit, he’s a smart guy,” Meyer said of Swinney’s job status. “Or at some point, he made the comment that he’s going to coach for a long time, but at some point, why won’t you go and enjoy your life a little bit. So I don’t know, but they’re not going to let him go.”

Meyer isn’t the only living legend to come to Swinney’s defense this week.

Steve Spurrier defends Dabo Swinney after suffering third loss

Despite that growing concern, legendary former Florida and South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier defended Dabo Swinney dring a recent appearance on Another Dooley Noted podcast.

“My buddy Dabo lost again,” Steve Spurrier said. “They’re having all kinds of issues up there, but they’ll be alright. They’ve won enough to have a bad year every now and then.”

Since Swinney took over at Clemson in 2008, Clemson has won the ACC nine times, including as recently as last season. He’s also won two national championships, in 2016 and 2018. That ACC Championship last season landed the Tigers in the College Football Playoff and was key in setting up those expectations for this season that the Tigers have failed to live up to so far.

Despite all of that success, there has been a clear downturn in dominance for Clemson since NIL and the Transfer Portal became more vital to roster construction. From 2014 through 2019, or over six seasons, Swinney suffered eight total losses. From 2020 to 2025, or less than six total seasons, the Tigers have 19 losses and failed to win the ACC twice already.

— On3’s Dan Morrison contributed to this report.