Swinney Admits Failure, Says No Staff Overhaul

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney called the Tigers' 1-3 start “an absolute coaching failure,” saying accountability “starts with me.” Clemson lost 17-10 to LSU, dropped a game at Georgia Tech and fell 34-21 at home to Syracuse — the program’s worst home loss to an unranked opponent under Swinney — leaving the offense averaging about 19.8 points per game and a defense that has underachieved despite NFL-caliber linemen T.J. Parker and Peter Woods. Preseason standout Cade Klubnik has been inconsistent, held under 230 passing yards for three weeks before a 363-yard game vs. Syracuse. Swinney, long viewed as reluctant to embrace NIL and the transfer portal but recently showing more humility, said after a week of “soul-searching” that he still trusts the program’s processes and it is not the time for wholesale staff changes. He expects the Tigers to respond when they visit North Carolina and face Bill Belichick, focusing on fundamentals rather than sweeping personnel moves.