Paul Finebaum saddened to ‘watch Dabo Swinney slink and slouch into oblivion’

Dabo Swinney seemed to think he was being treated unfairly when asked a question about the state of the Clemson Tigers football program.

Paul Finebaum thinks the two-time national champion-winning coach is no longer in touch with reality, and it’s sad to watch.

Dabo’s Clemson got dismantled 51-10 by Lane Kiffin’s LSU Tigers over the weekend in a game that wasn’t even that close. It was a stark contrast between Kiffin’s program, which takes advantage of college football’s modern ecosystem of transfers and NIL, and Swinney’s, which has been fighting against the tide for several years.

During his Tuesday press conference, Chapel Fowler, The State’s Clemson beat reporter, asked the coach if he regrets anything about his offseason roster construction. Before the question was over, Swinney was already smiling and launched into a rant against Fowler, whom he called a “gotcha guy,” and condescendingly said he didn’t understand that this was just one game out of 12 because he’s never played football before.

Full response from Dabo here: https://t.co/1Xpau77Yv3 pic.twitter.com/WaITowkb11

— Chapel Fowler (@chapelfowler) September 8, 2026

Paul Finebaum was on ESPN’s First Take Wednesday, and he didn’t mince words about Swinney’s comments in the midst of growing criticism.

“I thought they were foul, and let me explain the question for just a minute,” Finebaum said. “(The reporter) Chapel Fowler is the son of Scott Fowler, who’s an award-winning, distinguished columnist in Charlotte. He has been there many, many years. And I say that to establish that he grew up the son of a real journalist who understands when a situation is critical you ask real questions.

“That was not a gotcha question. We all know what those are. We hear them all the time. That was a legitimate, fair, ‘Coach, do you now regret going with this quarterback who was a bust and is no longer in your lineup and led you to the worst defeat of your career?’ It wasn’t even hard. And Dabo goes into defense mechanism, avoidance, all the — you can call a psychiatrist if you don’t like my descriptions, and it was really troubling that he doesn’t get how bad this program is and how it’s being perceived. I mean that’s high school chicanery you do there.”

Finebaum, who previously said he thinks it’s time for the school to move on from Swinney, sees this as the latest sign that the legendary coach is losing his grip on the Clemson program he’s overseen for 19 seasons.

“That is not a coach who has won two national championships, heading for the Hall of Fame, and until recently was in charge of one of the most distinguished and respected programs in the country,” Finebaum said. “It is no longer. It is laughable. I can’t pile on any more than I have, Stephen A., we’ve been doing it all week. But it’s getting sad to watch Dabo Swinney slink and slouch into oblivion.”