As the head coach of the No. 1 team in the country, you’d expect Dabo Swinney would be on the receiving end of his fair share of postseason honors. Wednesday, the collecting began.
It was announced a short time ago that Swinney has been named as the 22nd Home Depot Coach of the Year. The head coach led Clemson to the only unbeaten season at the FBS level and his Tigers are the No. 1 seed headed into their 2015 College Football Playoff semifinal matchup with No. 4 Oklahoma.
The Tigers also own the nation’s longest winning streak at 16 straight, with their last loss coming Nov. 15 of last year to Georgia Tech.
Swinney is the first-ever Clemson coach to win the Home Depot honor. He’s also the first ACC coach to win it since Maryland’s Ralph Friedgen in 2001. Florida State’s Bobby Bowden won the inaugural award in 1994.
Last year’s winner was TCU’s Gary Patterson. Swinney will receive this year’s award during the Home Depot 25th Anniversary College Football Awards on Thursday, Dec. 10, at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.