In spite of the bumps and bruises over the past five seasons, Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers have run the ACC for the better part of the past decade.
Since 2015, only three teams outside of Clemson has won the ACC, and none have done it twice. Pittsburgh did it in 2021, followed by Florida State in 2023 and most recently Duke.
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The foundation for Swinney’s run of success at Clemson started in the early 2010s when he was just settling in as coach and began recruiting at a high level.
Blue-chip players like Sammy Watkins, DeAndre Hopkins, Tajh Boyd, and eventually Deshaun Watson, Mike Williams and more committed to the Tigers instead of FSU, Miami, Alabama, Tennessee, Florida and others.
Those players and others ended a 35-year national championship drought at Clemson and gave the Tigers two titles in a span of three years, as well as six consecutive ACC championships. In the NIL and transfer portal era, it’s a run that feels difficult for any school to replicate, whether in the ACC or elsewhere.
Clemson has unquestionably slipped amid the NIL and transfer portal landscape, no longer the best team in its own conference from year to year or even its own state in two of the past four.
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But as for any one team that’s dethroned the Tigers from its perch atop the ACC? That’s a bit tricky. Only one current conference coach has a winning record against Swinney.
Here’s a look at how every coach in the ACC has fared against Clemson ahead of the 2026 college football season.
Oct 11, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; NC State Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren claps as he walks onto the field against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the second half at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images
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Current job: 2013-present
The second-longest tenured coach in the ACC has won two of the past three meetings against Clemson, including a 24-17 victory on Oct. 28, 2023 in Raleigh. Two nights later, “Tyler from Spartanburg” became a household name in college football circles.
Dec 27, 2025; Annapolis, MD, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi reacts during the second half of the Military Bowl against the East Carolina Pirates at Navy-Marine Corps Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
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Current job: 2015-present
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Narduzzi’s Panthers pulled one of the biggest upsets in 2016 when they came into Death Valley and handed the Tigers their first and only loss of a national championship season. Most recently, Clemson used a late 50-yard touchdown run from Cade Klubnik to escape with a 24-20 win at Pitt on Nov. 16, 2024 to keep the Tigers’ ACC title and ultimately, their College Football Playoff hopes alive.
Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell walks down the field. The Miami Hurricanes lead the Florida State Seminoles 14-3 at the half on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025.
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Current job: 2020-present
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Next meeting: Oct. 30, 2026 at Doak Campbell Stadium
Clemson’s only loss to Florida State since Jameis Winston was the Seminoles’ starting quarterback in 2014 came three years ago when FSU appeared to be back amid a 12-0 regular season and an ACC championship. It’s been all downhill in Tallahassee for Norvell since, and he enters 2026 on the hottest of hot seats.
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Jan 8, 2026; Glendale, AZ, USA; Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal against the Mississippi Rebels during the 2026 Fiesta Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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Current job: 2022-present
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Next meeting: Oct. 3, 2026 at Clemson Memorial Stadium
Cristobal, who passed Swinney on USA TODAY Sports’ annual summer rankings of the best ACC football head coaches, dropped his first game against the Tigers in November 2022 at Memorial Stadium with a 40-10 blowout loss. The Hurricanes used double-overtime to get past Clemson, 28-20, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami a year later. Swinney and Cristobal will meet for the third time as coaches this fall.
Brent Key, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Sep 13, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key on the sideline against the Clemson Tigers in the third quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
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Current job: 2022-present
Clemson’s 24-21 loss to Georgia Tech last season on a game-winning 55-yard Aidan Birr field goal dropped the Tigers to 1-2 and more or less ended their preseason hopes of contending for a national championship by Week 3.
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Dec 27, 2025; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Virginia Cavaliers head coach Tony Elliott looks on before the Gator Bowl against the Missouri Tigers at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images
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Current job: 2022-present
The former Clemson offensive coordinator was on the receiving end of a 48-31 loss to his former boss in the only head-to-head meeting between the two on Oct. 19, 2024.
Jan 2, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; SMU Mustangs head coach Rhett Lashlee gestures against the Arizona Wildcats in the first half during the Holiday Bowl at Snapdragon Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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Current job: 2022-present
Lashlee has turned SMU into an ACC contender in the school’s first two seasons in the conference. The Mustangs made the College Football Playoff in 2024, even with a loss to Swinney’s Tigers on Nolan Hauser‘s 56-yard field goal as time expired in that year’s ACC title game. SMU avenged the loss with a 35-24 win at Memorial Stadium last October behind quarterback Kevin Jennings‘ 290 yards passing and two touchdowns.
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Nov 14, 2025; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Louisville Cardinals head coach Jeff Brohm talks with an official during the first half against the Clemson Tigers at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images
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Current job: 2023-present
Until last year’s upset win at Miami, Brohm’s biggest victory as Louisville’s coach was arguably the Cardinals’ 33-21 win at Memorial Stadium on the first November Saturday night in 2024. Clemson avenged that year’s loss with a thrilling — though low-stakes — 20-19 win last November.
Nov 29, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz looks on against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons during the fourth quarter at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images
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Current job: 2024-present
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Next meeting: Nov. 20, 2026 at Wallace Wade Stadium
Diaz went 0-1 against Clemson during his three-year stint at Miami from 2019-21. After returning to the sidelines as a head coach in 2024, he led Duke to its first win in Death Valley since 1980 with the Blue Devils’ 46-45 victory on Nov. 1, 2025.
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Bill O’Brien, Boston College Eagles
Nov 29, 2025; Syracuse, New York, USA; Boston College Eagles head coach Bill O’Brien reacts against the Syracuse Orange during the second half at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images
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Current job: 2024-present
Dabo 1, O’Brien 0. After a respectable first season at Boston College that saw the Eagles finish 7-5 and reach a bowl game, the team sputtered to a 2-10 record and a last-place finish in the ACC last season. One of those double-digit losses came at Alumni Stadium on Oct. 11. Cade Klubnik threw for 290 yards and a touchdown and rushed for one more in a 41-10 Clemson win.
Nov 29, 2025; Syracuse, New York, USA; Syracuse Orange head coach Fran Brown reacts against the Boston College Eagles during the first half at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images
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Current job: 2024-present
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Next meeting: Nov. 7, 2026 at JMA Wireless Dome
Clemson’s most inexplicable loss during its 7-5 campaign a year ago came against a Syracuse team that would fall apart completely after a 34-21 beatdown of the Tigers on Sept. 20 in Death Valley. The injury to quarterback Steve Angeli didn’t help the Orange, but Angeli or not, it was one of the most inexcusable performances by a Swinney-coached team during his Clemson tenure.
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Oct 31, 2025; Syracuse, New York, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick looks to the clock in the fourth quarter game against the Syracuse Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images
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Current job: 2025-present
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Next meeting: Sept. 19, 2026 at Clemson Memorial Stadium
For all the preseason hype surrounding the first matchup between Swinney and the NFL legend, it was a complete dud by the time kickoff arrived on Oct. 4 in Chapel Hill. Clemson jumped out to a 28-3 lead in the first quarter and never looked back against the Tar Heels, who would finish 4-8 in Belichick’s first season.
Dabo Swinney to face these ACC football coaches for first time in 2026
Nov 19, 2025; Blacksburg, VA, USA; L-R, John Rocovich, Timothy Sands, James Franklin and Whit Babcock hold up a Virginia Tech jersey during the press conference celebrating Franklin as head coach at Cassell Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bishop-Imagn Images
Clemson will face two conference foes with first-year head coaches this season: Virginia Tech‘s James Franklin and California‘s Tosh Lupoi. Penn State, every bit the disappointment the Tigers were in 2025, fired Franklin following three straight losses last October. Clemson will face the Hokies on Oct. 24 in Death Valley.
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Lupoi, a former Nick Saban assistant at Alabama who most recently was defensive coordinator on Dan Lanning’s staff at Oregon, accepted the California job after the Golden Bears fired Justin Wilcox just shy of nine full seasons and a career 48-55 cord in Berkeley. Clemson will visit Cal on Friday, Sept. 25.
Two other ACC coaches Swinney has never faced are second-year Wake Forest coach Jake Dickert and first-year Stanford coach Tavita Pritchard.
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This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Every ACC head coach’s career record vs. Clemson football
