William Christopher “Dabo” Swinney is the 47-year-old head coach of the Clemson Tigers football team. He’s held the position since 2008, assuming the job after head coach Tommy Bowden resigned mid-way through the season. Swinney is from Alabama, and went to the University of Alabama where he played for the Crimson Tide as a walk-on wide receiver. He graduated in 1993, earned his MBA in 1995 from Alabama, and became a full-time assistant coach for the Crimson Tide. When fired in 2001 (with all of head coach Mike DuBose’s staff) Swinney worked in real estate for two years before joining Bowden at Clemson. In 2013, Swinney signed an eight-year, $27.15 million contract. He completed his best season in 2015 with a 14-1 recrod and the ACC championship. In April 2016, Swinney signed a six-year contract extension worth $30.75 million.
So what’s with the name Dabo? According to his mother, when Dabo was an infant, his older brother Tripp, then 18 months old, couldn’t enunciate “that boy” when referring to Swinney — it came out “Dabo.” Coach claims not to have known his real name until the 3rd grade.
Dabo on his name: “This is honest to God truth. I had no idea my name was even William until like the 3rd grade because of those scantrons.”
— Derek Phillips (@DerekPhillips89) January 5, 2016
