On ESPN’s First Take show, Stephen A. Smith reacted to Dabo Swinney’s comments on Clemson fans’ criticism after a 1-2 start to this season.
Of course, Swinney said during his Tuesday press conference that “if Clemson is tired of winning, they can send me on my way” and he’ll go somewhere else to coach.
Smith weighed in on Swinney and Clemson’s poor start to the season and wonders if they’ve been left behind.
“Here’s the reality – he’s made a lot of noise about how times have changed and how he’s reluctant to adapt to that,” Smith said. “Yeah, the transfer portal and NIL and stuff like that… they’ve been one of the last ones to the party, and even then, they do it begrudgingly. They don’t wanna do it. They don’t like it. He’s one of the most outspoken individuals on that.
“I think Dabo Swinney’s a phenomenal coach and a great guy to be around. I’ve been down there. I’ve spoken to his football team. I’ve been on campus. We’ve done a ‘First Take’ on the campus. I love him, I love their program, and it’s something sensational to behold. But Trevor Lawrence ain’t there anymore. Deshaun Watson ain’t there anymore. This cat, Klubnik, ain’t what he was prescribed to be — him and Arch Manning. But [Klubnik], too — three touchdowns, three interceptions, 59 percent completion on the season, 1-2 start – he has underperformed. That is a fact.”
Smith thinks Swinney and Clemson need to adapt to the new college football era.
“If you are a guy like Dabo Swinney who is making so much noise and you don’t go out there in the age of the NIL and the transfer portal with all that your program has to offer, and with all that you have to offer as a coach because of your great personality and your great coaching acumen – you won two national championships — how in God’s name has this happened?” Smith said.
“So, people are looking at it from that standpoint and saying, we have expectations for Dabo. Dabo’s not meeting them because Dabo was talking against a system people believe he needs to adapt to.”
–Photo courtesy of Kirby Lee-Imagn Images