It seems like every time Dabo Swinney goes to Alabama these days he gets this question from someone in the media.

“Would you leave Clemson to coach at Alabama if mama comes calling?”

A day before his Clemson team opens spring drills for the 2018 football season, Swinney had to answer that question from Al.com’s Mike Heim when Swinney appeared on his radio show “The Opening Kickoff.”

Swinney was in Mobile, Ala., Tuesday as the keynote speaker for the 2018 University of Mobile Scholarship Banquet. The Clemson coach said he always smiles when he is asked about coaching at Alabama.

“I understand it,” he said. “That’s kind of the world we live in. I live in the here and now. I stay focused on where I am.”

Swinney said he is incredibly happy at Clemson and he loves where he is.

“This is my 16th year at Clemson. It’s not like I haven’t dug my roots in here,” he joked.

Since becoming head coach at Clemson halfway through the 2008 football season, Swinney has posted a 101-30 overall record. His teams have won one national championship, played in two national championship games, been to three College Football Playoffs, won four ACC Championships, won six division championships and have won at least 10 games seven years in a row.

“I definitely think we’re one of those programs that have proven we can maintain consistency,” Swinney said. “To me, it’s not all about winning national championships. There’s only one team that’s going to get that done every year, and Alabama is in a league of their own when it comes to national championships, especially in this modern era with Coach Saban and what he has done.

“The big thing for me when we got this job was trying to build consistency. To me, that’s the hardest thing to do in anything. To be considered elite at something or great at something, you have to be really good at something for a long period of time. I think we have established that.”

By the way, Clemson’s National Championship came when Swinney beat his alma mater, Alabama, in the 2017 Game. That’s why many believe Alabama will come calling when Nick Saban does decide to retire, whenever that is.

“(Clemson is) a special, special place that we love dearly,” Swinney said. “I’ve had three or four opportunities to leave Clemson over the years. This is a place we still have a lot of work left to be done. The dream was to win a national championship here. We’re so happy we could prove we could do that.”