Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney was nearly inconsolable after his team’s loss to Miami that dropped the Tigers to 4-3 on the season. But his joke afterwards may have gotten him into more trouble than the loss did.
Speaking to the media after the game he joked that the team’s sports psychologist was “probably on suicide-watch” with the way the team has been performing lately. That joke didn’t go over well with people and Swinney has had to backtrack.
According to Chapel Fowler of The State, Swinney has apologized for a “poor choice of words” with his suicide-watch comment. He made it clear that it was a poor attempt at humor and that the team takes mental health seriously.
“I absolutely apologize for that… We’re very deliberate about what we do about mental health around here,” Swinney said.
Dabo Swinney on his “suicide watch” comment that went viral last night — “I absolutely apologize for that.” Says it was a poor choice of words on his part and an even worse attempt at humor. “We’re very deliberate about what we do about mental health around here.”
— Chapel Fowler (@chapelfowler) October 22, 2023
Fans were upset and disappointed in Dabo Swinney for making the comments in the first place and many are still admonishing him for it now.
Meanwhile, Clemson’s recent struggles have a lot of people wondering whether Swinney was ever as good as people made him out to be. Some are wondering if the success he has enjoyed with the Tigers is purely the by-product of recruiting generational talent at quarterback rather than his own coaching acument.
The Tigers have not finished a year inside the top 10 since quarterback Trevor Lawrence departed after the 2020 season.