Dabo Swinney Mistakes Country Star for LSU Coach Brian Kelly in Hilarious Summer Vacation Mix-Up originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney planned to keep the story to himself until his Tigers faced LSU on August 30 in Atlanta. But at Clemson Media Day on Tuesday, he couldnât resist. The mix-up was too good not to share.
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Over the summer, while vacationing in Florida, Swinney was told that Brian Kellyâs wife owned a souvenir shop near the beach he was visiting. Naturally, his wife, Kathleen Swinney, wanted to stop in and support a fellow coachâs family business. After making a purchase, the shopkeeper mentioned there was a small stage out back where performances were held.
Curious, Dabo wandered behind the store and saw a sign in big letters: âBrian Kelly.â Thinking he had stumbled into some kind of preseason promotional event for the LSU head coach, Swinney snapped a few pictures and started texting them to Brian Kelly â the one who wears the headset, not a cowboy hat.
Kathleen chimed in to the shop worker, proudly saying that her husband and Clemson would be playing Brian Kellyâs LSU squad later this summer. The confused employee quickly clarified: âThatâs not the football coach â thatâs Brian Kelley, the country music singer from Florida Georgia Line.â
Oops.
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âThere was just one problem: it wasnât that Brian Kelly,â Swinney said with a laugh. âIt was a funny story. Me being stupid â shocker. I was going to tell Brian [Kelly] at midfield before the game. But now heâll see it.â
Even after realizing the mix-up, Swinney made the most of the moment. Dabo did say that the actual performer should come and play in Death Valley: âHey man, come play a concert in the Valley sometime.â
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 15, 2025, where it first appeared.
