Clemson, S.C.— Clemson head football coach Dabo Swinney will be one of eight inductees into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday. The Class of 2018 includes Swinney, professional golfer Stewart Cink,former Alabama running back Johnny Davis, former college and NFL coach Chan Gailey, former MLB pitcher Tim Hudson, former basketball coach Bill Jones, former gymnast Kathy McMinn, and former NFL receiver Terrell Owens,
The eight inductees bring the total members to 345 since the Hall was opened in 1969. The Golden 50th Annual Induction Ceremony and Banquet will be at the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel. Noted ESPN broadcaster and longtime sportswriter Paul Finebaum will serve as Master of Ceremonies.
Swinney is the sixth Clemson Head Football Coach to be inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. Frank Howard, Danny Ford, Hootie Ingram, Charley Pell and John Heisman were enshrined earlier. Former Clemson baseball All-American Jimmy Key and former Clemson assistant football coach Bill Oliver are also in the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.
Swinney will be the 10th college head football coach in the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame with a National Championship on their resume. The others are Danny Ford, Bobby Bowden, Bear Bryant, Gene Stallings, Nick Saban, Vince Dooley, Shug Jordan, Wallace Wade, and Frank Thomas.
Swinney was a member of Alabama’s 1992 National Championship team coached by Stallings. He coached Clemson to the 2016 National Championship. He will be the only member of the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame who has played on a National Championship team and served as the head coach of a National Championship team. Bud Wilkinson is the only other person to do both in college football history.
Swinney will be the third member of the 1992 Alabama team inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, joining quarterback Jay Barker and running back Kevin Turner.
Swinney has coached Clemson to a 101-30 record in his 10 seasons. He has taken Clemson to the College Football Playoffs each of the last three years, something only Alabama has done. The Tigers have finished in the top four of both polls each of the last three years and won three consecutive ACC Championships. Swinney has four ACC Championships, seven bowl victories, including three College Football Playoff wins, and eight top 25 seasons on his record so far.
The native of Pelham, Ala. is the only coach to win the Bear Bryant National Coach of the Year Award in consecutive years (2015 and 2016). He has taken Clemson to at least 10 wins in each of the last seven years, something only Nick Saban has done. He has won 88 games in the decade of the 2010s to match his Alabama uniform number.
