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Greg McElroy defends Dabo Swinney, puts him in top-10 of updated coach rankings
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Greg McElroy was a star quarterback at Alabama at the very beginning of the Nick Saban era, so he’s played for the best and won at the highest level, leading the Crimson Tide to the national title in 2009.
And McElroy’s alma mater had quite the rivalry with Clemson, too, as the programs went head-to-head in national title games late in the Saban era, with Dabo Swinney getting the better of the legendary Saban not once but twice in 2016 and 2018.
Although some have insisted that Swinney has lost a step (or 2) during the transfer portal era, McElroy doesn’t believe it. During his Always College Football podcast on Thursday, McElroy gave Swinney some due respect, placing him at No. 7 on his list of top head coaches right now in college football.
“People will say he’s lost a step. I respectfully disagree,” shot back McElroy, who works as an analyst for ESPN. “I just think Dabo Swinney believes what he believes for good reason, because he averages over 10 wins a season and has during his 17 seasons at Clemson.”
McElroy knows that Swinney isn’t a conventional coach, especially these days. He’s never been in love with the transfer portal, but that doesn’t mean he’s not an all-time great.
“By far, the best coach in the history of Clemson football. He’s got 2 national championships, and he’s made the College Football Playoff 7 times. Dabo Swinney might be doing it a bit differently, but it doesn’t mean the way he’s doing it is wrong,” explained McElroy on his podcast.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
