Dabo Swinney has faced harsh criticism before at Clemson, but his fight back looks different now - ESPN

IT HAD BEEN a couple of years since Bob Stoops last spoke with Clemson coach Dabo Swinney. The two had always been friendly, but since Stoops retired from coaching at Oklahoma, they didn't bump into each other often.

Then, on Halloween, Stoops was scrolling through his phone when he came across some quotes from Swinney.

A caller to Swinney's radio show — «Tyler from Spartanburg» — had offered a meandering critique of Swinney's performance in 2023, suggesting, among other things, that the Clemson coach hadn't earned his nearly $11 million salary after the team's 4-4 start to the season.

Swinney responded with what he'd later call «an Old Testament answer.»

Among Swinney's scathing rebukes:

«It's people like you, where the expectation is greater than the appreciation — you're part of the problem.»

«People like you who just love to destroy people with your comments, all right? I'm sure you've never made any bad decisions. I'm sure you've lived a perfect life.»

«All this bullcrap you're thinking, all these narratives you read. Listen, man, you can have your opinion all you want, and you can apply for the job. And good luck to ya.»

«I'm not gonna sit here and let you call in — I don't care how much money I make. You ain't gonna talk to me like I'm 12 years old. Gotta be freaking kidding me.»

Stoops read through the entire diatribe and couldn't resist sending Swinney a note.

It read: «Good for you.»

Turns out, Swinney's rant struck a chord with Stoops and dozens of other coaches across the country.

It can be a difficult dichotomy for coaches. They're rich and famous and, even when they fail miserably, they're rewarded with hefty buyout checks (see: Fisher, Jimbo), so few people feel particularly sorry for them when they're