Fearlessly, Swinney has exceeded expectations at Clemson

On the other end of the phone was Rich Wingo, the former Alabama linebacker who was the Crimson Tide's drill-sergeant of a strength coach when Swinney played at the school.

Swinney was an out-of-work assistant coach at the time — a long way from being the coach of No. 1 Clemson — with no experience in real estate.

Seven years after Swinney made the huge jump from wide receivers coach to head coach of the Tigers, they are a victory away from a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Clemson plays No. 8 North Carolina on Saturday night in Charlotte, North Carolina, in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game.

Swinney's career as a college player started in the stands at Bryant-Denny Stadium, watching the Crimson Tide play when he was a freshman at Alabama.

After his playing days, he became a graduate assistant at Alabama while working on an MBA.

Tide coach Gene Stallings gave him his first big break, hiring him as wide receivers coach.

Swinney didn't immediately hook on with another school, and since he was getting paid until August, he decided to take a season off, fully intent on getting back into the business the next year.

The way Swinney caught Wingo's attention at Alabama, he did the same at Clemson with Terry Don Phillips, who was the Tigers athletic director from 2002-12.

[...] every time the old defensive lineman would watch practice, he was drawn to Swinney.

In the middle of the 2008 season, with Clemson struggling, Bowden resigned and Phillips made the bold step of handing the program to Swinney.