Dabo Swinney Named 2015 George Munger Collegiate Coach of the Year

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney was honored with the 2015 George Munger Collegiate Coach of the Year Award on Tuesday after leading the Tigers to a 13-0 record and a College Football Playoff berth.  

Bleacher Report's Barrett Sallee passed along word of Swinney's selection by Maxwell Football Club voters. He beat out fellow finalists Mark Dantonio of Michigan State and Kirk Ferentz of Iowa for the coveted distinction.

It's the second time in as many days that the 46-year-old coach has been honored. On Monday, the leader of the Clemson program was chosen as the Associated Press College Football Coach of the Year and shared the praise, as noted by Ralph D. Russo of the AP.

"Football is a great team sport and any individual honor is a result of having a great group of players and staff," Swinney said. "I am blessed to have student-athletes and coaches that believe in what we do. This award is a reflection of their hard work and commitment."

The Munger Award adds to an already impressive haul, as noted by Matt Fortuna of ESPN.com:

The Tigers' undefeated run to the CFP included victories over Notre Dame, North Carolina and Florida State. Only four times in 13 games was the deciding margin within a single score, as they blew out most opponents thanks to the seventh-ranked defense and the 12th-ranked offense.

In the bigger picture, Swinney has created a program at Clemson consistently competitive on a national level—both in terms of on-field results and recruiting battles. This will likely mark the third time in the past four years the Tigers have finished in the Top 10 of the final Coaches Poll.

There's still work to do in order to reach the ultimate goal, though. Clemson only has one national title, and it came back in 1981. Ending that drought is more important than any Coach of the Year Award he may receive.

The Tigers are two victories away from completing that journey. Up first is a clash with Oklahoma on New Year's Eve. If they survive that matchup, they would face off with either Michigan State or Alabama in the National Championship Game.

Swinney has pushed all of the right buttons so far and has the hardware to prove it. Now, it's time to see if that run of success continues when it matters most.