Dabo Swinney says no to an outside GM at Clemson

The question came at Swinney's Tuesday media availability, and he gave a long answer about what Clemson's front office should look like.

Jackson Castellano

@jaxacastellano

Full comments from Tigers coach Dabo Swinney on his vision for a “central office” at Clemson controlling roster spend, and why that vision does not include someone above Swinney making final personnel decisions. Found these quite interesting/insightful: t.co/DFAofPFCHL

Jackson Castellano

@jaxacastellano

"We're not going to hire somebody to come in and say, 'This is your roster.'" Was curious, because it's been a topic of conversation #onhere ... in an ideal world, would this "roster spend authority," just handle the money management, or would Dabo Swinney be open to someone making all final roster decisions? "No, I'll make roster decisions as the head coach. I don't make them all by myself. We collectively, you know, that's what we do."

The short version: Swinney is fine with a central office that handles the money, and Clemson already has part of one. Jordan Sorrells is the Tigers' general manager. He negotiates deals with high school recruits and portal players and helps keep the current roster together. But the final call on who's on the roster belongs to the head coach, and Swinney made it clear that isn't changing.

Chapel Fowler

@chapelfowler

Full thoughts from Dabo on why concept of an external GM wouldn’t work in his opinion: “We’re not gonna hire somebody to come in and say, ‘This is your roster.’ … You can’t just pick who you want. Everybody’s got money. You’ve gotta recruit” t.co/NOsYyTvtof

Chapel Fowler

@chapelfowler

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney on the possibility of an external GM: "I'm gonna make the roster decisions as the head coach. I don't make them all by myself -- collectively, that's what we do (as a staff). But we're not gonna hire somebody to come in and say, 'This is your roster'"

"You can't just pick who you want. Everybody's got money. You've gotta recruit." That's his whole case. In the NFL a GM drafts players and they show up. In college, the kid can say no, so the person doing the recruiting has to be the one choosing the roster. Fair point. It's also the exact answer you'd expect from a guy who's run this program his way for more than 15 years.

Here's why people keep asking. Clemson went 7-6 last year after starting the season in the top 5, and it already has 3 losses this fall. Swinney got the GM question on his radio show in late October too, after the loss to Virginia Tech, and gave basically the same answer. Schools all over the country are hiring NFL-style personnel chiefs so the head coach can spend his time coaching. Clemson is choosing not to.

Will Vandervort

@steelerwill

Clemson fans are not going to like this answer from head coach Dabo Swinney t.co/LEHxvYiEPh

That's the split in Clemson's fan base right now. One side says Dabo built a dynasty by doing it his way, and the recruiting part of his answer holds up. The other side says the same resistance to change that slowed his move into NIL and the portal is showing up again here. A central office that controls spending but answers to Swinney on personnel is a compromise. Whether it's enough depends on what the next portal cycle brings to Clemson.

What to watch: who Clemson hires to fill out that central office this offseason, and how much real authority they get. If the losses keep coming, Swinney will hear this question again in December, and maybe from someone above him.