Swinney Named AFCA National Coach of the Year

Clemson, S.C.—Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney was named the National Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association on Tuesday.  He was presented the award at the organization’s annual convention  in San Antonio, Texas. Swinney is the first Clemson coach to receive the award since Danny Ford in 1981.  

Swinney just concluded his seventh full season as the Tigers head coach and he has posted a 75-27 record.   He led the Tigers to a 14-1 record in 2015, the most victories in school history and just the eighth team in FBS history to win 14 games in a season. Clemson finished the season ranked No. 2 in the AP and USA Today polls released on Tuesday after the Tigers lost to Alabama in the National Football Playoff Championship game 45-40 on Monday night.

Swinney led Clemson to an 8-0 record in the ACC and league championship game victory over an eighth-ranked North Carolina team.  The Tigers defeated sixth ranked Notre Dame in the regular season and fourth ranked Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl in the semifinal game of the College Football Playoff.

The Tigers had a school record 17-game winning streak entering Monday’s night’s game with Alabama and have won 37 in a row over unranked teams.  Clemson’s final No. 2 ranking is the second highest final ranking in school history.  Clemson was ranked No. 1 in the nation for all six weeks of the College Football Playoff Poll.

This is the sixth National Coach of the Year award for Swinney this year.  Earlier he was honored by the Associated Press, the Walter Camp Foundation, Football Writers of America,  The Sporting News and the Maxwell Club of Philadelphia.   The Bear Bryant Award will be announced on Wednesday night.