Dabo Swinney got his football start at Alabama as a player and then as a graduate assistant under Gene Stallings. He moved his way up to wide receivers coach and made his way to Clemson as an assistant coach in 2003 under Tommy Bowden. Of course, the rest is history as we know as Dabo ended up getting the head coaching job in 2008 after Bowden resigned.
In a profile done by CBSSport's Jon Solomon, Dabo said he would certainly consider going back to his alma mater if the opportunity presented itself. Even with the Clemson coach focusing on his own team's problems of being No. 1 in the nation, he's thought about going back.
"You don't ever say never. You don't ever know what the circumstances would be at any given time," Swinney said. "First of all, Alabama may never, ever call me and I would never have a problem with that. They've got to do what they've got to do. My deal is to be great where I'm at. I had opportunities to leave Alabama. I had opportunities to leave Clemson. But I've just never been that guy about the next job. I'm about the job I've got."
Saban is likely not leaving the Crimson Tide any time soon as he is signed to a very lucrative deal through 2022. But even Clemson president Jim Clements says that Swinney should be on the short list if Saban ever does leave.
"If I'm the president of Alabama and I have an opening, guess who I'm calling? Dabo," Clements said. "So it's OK. ... Dabo is building something special here. If I'm him and I'm looking at the path we're on, I don't need to go anywhere else, including Alabama."
Talk about supporting your coach in whatever decision he makes. That's pretty big of Clements.
