When you first start thinking about change — even in the slightest degree — maybe that’s the signal it’s time to go ahead and make the change.
That thought just may have entered the mind of Dabo Swinney, or at least it’s one we hope has entered the mind of Graham Neff, athletic director at Clemson . Because what we’ve been seeing in 2025 is not the Clemson we knew. It’s not the Clemson that brought home national championships. And if the thought of “maybe we’re off track” has crossed Neff's mind even once, then it’s time to have the hard conversations now.
Swinney’s credentials are sterling: he entered 2025 as the winningest coach in ACC history, with a career mark of 180-47 at Clemson. He delivered two national titles, multiple College Football Playoff berths, a program built on dominance. And yet: this year the Tigers sit at 3-4, a start few saw coming.
Look around college football: coaches are being held accountable, programs recalibrated. At Penn State, at Florida — nobody is immune. So why should Clemson be the exception?
This season has had glaring failures. The 35-24 loss to SMU at home (yes, home), was inexcusable. The offense, coached by Garrett Riley, has not consistently put this team in position to win. The defense, under Tom Allen, looked radically diminished against a roster filled with NFL-talent. Country music star Keith Urban said it's days that go by but in Clemson's instance, it's years gone by since Clemson last routinely dominated at home. In fact, metrics suggest the program is well past its peak.
So here is my opinion; if the leadership at Clemson has even once asked, “has this program slipped?” then the time is now. Because when you’ve ever thought about losing weight, getting back in the gym, or forgiving someone — that thought is the first step. You are at the crossroads.
Now, I’m not saying Dabo Swinney should be removed today. Far from it. He deserves the opportunity to get this program back to the mountaintop — he earned that. But if the question has crossed the mind of Graham Neff — or should cross — then the time to have that conversation is now, not later, when the losses pile up further and opportunities slip away.
Clemson fans remember what this program once was: relentless, dominant, feared. A 102-11 home record under Swinney was once considered nearly untouchable. But what we’re seeing in 2025 is a shell of that. Players who arrived with high expectations, coaches who were hired to maintain the standard — and yet the standard has slipped.
Change does not always mean the end of something; sometimes it means renewal. Clemson built a juggernaut. It may now need to re-tool the engine while keeping the chassis. If the thought of change has entered the leadership’s head, let’s hope it’s more than a fleeting whisper — let’s hope it becomes action.
Because when you first notice the shift, it’s rarely a matter of if you need to act — it’s when. And that when is now.