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With the SEC and other conferences seeing multiple coaches fired this season, that uncertainty is spreading to other notable coaches. With big names like Hugh Freeze, Brian Kelly, and Billy Napier losing jobs, other coaches with struggling teams could face similar outcomes. Clemson Tigers head coach commented on that after his team’s disappointing loss to the Duke Blue Devils last week, joking that he wouldn’t be surprised if Clemson’s AD, sitting in the room for the postgame press conference, fired him soon. However, that didn’t happen, and Clemson played Saturday, giving their head coach a much better performance. Behind a steady performance from quarterback Cade Klubnik, the Tigers defeated the Florida State Seminoles, 24-10. In a game of two teams with losing records in the ACC, there was never any doubt if Clemson would win, holding FSU to just a touchdown in the first half and a field goal in the second. Read more: Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman Sends Clear Message About Jeremiyah Love CLEMSON, SOUTH CAROLINA – SEPTEMBER 06: Dabo Swinney sings the Clemson Tigers anthem with his players to celebrate their 27-16 win against the Troy Trojans at Memorial Stadium on September 06, 2025, in Clemson, South Carolina. (Photo by Katie Januck/Getty Images) Following his team’s two-score win, Swinney spoke at the postgame press conference about still having his job as the Clemson head coach. A reporter mentioned that during ESPN’s “College GameDay,” legendary coach Nick Saban referred to a conversation he had with Swinney. “He’s awesome. We just kinda went back and forth a little bit,” Swinney said of their discussion, “The biggest thing is listen, you know, ‘If you coach long enough,’ he said, ‘and you’ve coached long enough, sooner or later you will have a season like this.'” “He said, ‘There’s opportunity in every situation and I know you’ll take advantage of this opportunity.’ He was great. Very supportive,” he shared at the postgame press conference. Swinney’s reveal of his strong message from Saban arrived a week after the Clemson coach blasted the officiating in his team’s loss to Duke. That resulted in a $10,000 fine and reprimand for Swinney. However, things seemed to get a bit brighter this week for the coach and his team with a win. His tenure with Clemson dates back to 2008, when he took over as the team’s interim head coach before becoming the head coach. Since then, most Clemson seasons have been winning ones, except 2010, when they were 6-7 overall. The current team seemed on pace to finish with a worse record, but the recent win could signal improved play and momentum heading forward. Swinney’s Tigers moved to 3-4 in the conference and 4-5 overall with Saturday’s victory against FSU. However, things will get tougher as they’ll battle another ACC foe, No. 15 Louisville, on the road in an ESPN game on Friday night. Read more: Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza Tops Heisman Odds After Stunning Comeback Win For more about the Clemson Tigers and college football, visit Newsweek Sports.
