The Adversity Advantage with Doug Bopst

Clemson Coach Dabo Swinney - A Special Message on Faith, Family, Football and Leadership

Apr 4, 2021

40:54

Happy Easter! I am wishing everyone a healthy and happy holiday and hope you are spending it with those that you love either in person or virtually. For those that aren’t celebrating, I am wishing you a day full of peace, love, and happiness as well. We have a “special episode” today. Traditionally, I don’t release three episodes per week. But, given the context of this particular conversation and how it relates to Easter, I thought it would only be fitting to release it today.

Many of you will recognize my guest because he is one of the most accomplished college football coaches of our lifetime. Today we dive into parts of his journey that you may not be as familiar with, specifically his childhood and what led him to become a Christian.

Clemson Football Head Coach Dabo Swinney joins me today on the show. For those of you who aren’t sports fans, since taking over as head coach in 2008, he has won 5 conference titles and two national championships. His team is consistently in the running for winning the national championship every year. What I believe sets him apart is his commitment to making his players not just better athletes, but better humans as well.

We discuss his upbringing, his faith, and of course his coaching career. He explains how his positivity and motivational nature was something that he created in reaction to adverse circumstances. He shares the secret recipe he gives his players to get out of a rut and which players have impacted him. I hope you find my conversation with Coach Swinney as inspiring, encouraging and surprising as I did. Happy Easter!

Topics discussed:

Coach Swinney's upbringing and what inspired his motivational and positive nature

How his childhood helped shape him

Why age 16 was pivotal for him

What led him to become a Christian and what that has done for him

The major role faith plays in his life

How staying positive and focusing on what he could control helped him get through hard times

How to get through challenging times

His coaching career

How he is able to relate to his players

Which players have had the most impact on him

Advice he gives to players that are in a "rut"