Kathleen Swinney
Meet Kathleen Swinney, she is the pretty wife of football coach Dabo Swinney head coach of the Clemson Tigers Football Team at Clemson University in South Carolina. He first arrived at Clemson in 2002.
At that time his former Alabama coach Tommy Bowden was the man in charge of the Tigers; Coach Bowden asked him to join him at Clemson, therefore he became an assistant coach for the wide receivers. He was subsequently named head coach after coach Bowden retired in 2008.
Coach Swinney and the Clemson Tigers have won two national championships, in 2016, with QB Deshaun Watson and later in 2018, with Trevor Lawrence. and now with DJ Uiagalelei.
Dabo Swinney
Kathleen Swinney’s hubby was born William Christopher Swinney on November 20, 1969, in Birmingham, Alabama, and raised in Pelham. He git his nickname Dabo from his little brother Tripp, who tried to say “That Boy” when he was talking about Coach Swinney.
Graduated in 1995 from the University of Alabama, where he was a wide receiver for the Crimson Tide football team. He didn’t pursue a career as a football player, instead opted to be a coach.
He first became a graduate assistant with the Alabama Crimson Tide in 1993, under head coach Gene Stallings; full-time assistant coach in charge of wide receivers and tight ends fin 1996.
A year later was named the Crimson Tide’s tight end coach and wide receivers coach from 1998 until 2000.
Late in 2002, his former coach at Alabama, Tommy Bowden offered him a coaching position at Clemson; Dabo didn’t have to overthink it and by 20-03, Swinney became the Clemson Tigers’ wide receivers coach.
Named an assistant coach in 2007 and interim coach as well as offensive coordinator in 2008; eventually named Clemson’s head coach on October 13, 2008.
Who is Dabo Swinney’s wife Kathleen Swinney?
Kathleen Swinney Bio
She was a Bama girl growing up, but Dabo Swinney’s wife Kathleen Swinney wasn’t born in Alabama.
Indeed, Birmingham, Alabama, has a special place in her heart; but she was born Bette Kathleen Bassett on March 27, 1971, in Fayette, Kentucky. Mrs. Swinney is one of four children born to Jeffrey and Bette Bassett (nee. Slovak).
Has two sisters, older sister Lisa Lamb and Ann Cicero and brother Daniel Bassett.
Her sister Lisa was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002, she was pronounced cancer-free the following year. Sadly in 2011, the cancer was back and this time it was in her lungs and brain. Lisa Lamb was 49 when she died on April 22, 2014.
Lisa urged her sisters to go to a genetic counselor to see if she carried the disease. Both Kathleen and Ann carried the gene, which meant both had a 90% percent chance to have breast cancer at some point in their lives.
Like Ann, Kathleen Swinney had a double mastectomy, followed by a hysterectomy to cut down her chances of developing ovarian cancer.
When did Dabo Swinney meet his wife Kathleen?
Kathleen and Dabo Swinney met in the second grade. In the fourth grade, Dabo used his connections or something like that he would say and get her elected with him in the Safety Patrol team; both Dabo and Kathleen were subsequently elected to the student council.
They went to the middle school dance together, by the time they reached high school they started dating. She became his rock.
Dabo’s father was an alcoholic, his parents divorced when he was 16. He found himself bouncing from one house to the next, other times he would live with a friend and when nobody would invite him to their house, Dabo would crash in the coach’s house. Kathleen stayed by his side all the way.
“It was very embarrassing because I hid things from my friends. I was dating Kathleen. She came from a very functional, normal family and mine was the exact opposite,” he said. “Her family is very educated and functional, mine was very dysfunctional and uneducated, but she did not care. But when you are young, you worry about things like that.”
“He has been my best friend since I can remember,” Kathleen said. “I can’t remember my life without him. Really can’t, don’t know what life is like without him in it.
“I guess a lot of people meet their spouse in college or out of college or maybe even high school, but I don’t know anything but him being in my life. I’m really blessed.”
Like her husband, Kathleen also graduated from the University of Alabama; she earned an undergraduate degree in elementary education.
Dabo Swinney Children
Dabo and Kathleen tied the knot in 1994. Together they have three handsome and amazing sons; Drew, Will, and Clay Swinney.
Her son Drew Swinney born on January 23, 2000, is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing at Clemson, where he also plays wide receiver.
Also a wide receiver for the Clemson Tigers is Dabo and Kathleen’s son Will was born on August 19, 1998.
The youngest is Clay, born on July 29, 2003, like his brothers Drew and Will graduated from Daniel High School
