Only four victories shy of becoming the seventh active Division I head coach and 16th overall to win 200 games, the Fresno State icon longs for a good season or two before playing golf full time.
After 11 consecutive winning campaigns, seven conference championships and five bowl appearances, the junkyard dogs lost their bite in 1994 and 1995.
Safety Omar Stoutmire had an incredible 198 tackles last year.
People who once lauded Sweeney for his ability to win big on a regular basis began to wonder out loud if the game of football had passed him by.
But don't break out the gold watches just yet. Sweeney plans to be around at least through the end of his current contract and beyond if his health holds up.
"Everywhere I go, I read and hear about my pending retirement, and frankly it has become a distraction for me and my football team," Sweeney said. "I plan on being around for a while."
He also plans to improve upon his recent vintage. In 1994 and 1995, Fresno State was 10-14-1 overall and a meager 5-10-1 in the Western Athletic Conference.
It's a bitter taste Sweeney would dearly love to wash out of his mouth as soon as this season. But for that to happen, the Bulldogs must improve defensively.
They finished 100th in the nation in total defense in 1995, something even Sweeney's talented offensive unit couldn't overcome.
To try to keep the dam from breaking again, Sweeney went out and hired defensive coordinator Robin Ross from Western Washington University.
Ross, who was the defensive coordinator at Iowa State from 1987-93, will use a multiple defense to try to get the leaky Bulldogs a measure of respectability.
They yielded a stunning 467 yards and 32 points a game last season with what Sweeney called a one-dimensional approach.
"Our main goal this past spring was to improve in every area defensively," Sweeney said. "If we don't play at a different level this season, I'll be surprised."
Sweeney welcomes back seven returning starters, including most of his defensive front. But the loss of linebackers Gene Smith and Alphonso Bigelo could prove tough to overcome early on.
The Bulldogs have all-everything safety Omar Stoutmire returning. He led the Bulldogs and the league in tackles with a staggering 198.
"That's a good news, bad news kind of thing," Sweeney said. "We moved him to strong safety this year, but hopefully a guy in your secondary isn't your top tackler."
Things aren't quite as bleak on the other side of the football. The Bulldogs return seven offensive starters from a team that averaged 457 yards and 32 points a game in 1995.
Unlike last year, senior quarterback Jim Arellanes will be the starter for the season opener with Richie Donati listed as backup.
Arellanes missed a month with a knee sprain last year, but still manged to finish seventh nationally in passing efficiency.
The former junior college standout connected on 59 percent of his passes for 1,539 yards and 15 touchdowns.
"He has the quickest release and strongest arm of any of our quarterbacks at Fresno State," Sweeney said. "We need him to have a good year for us to be successful."
Arellanes will be handing the football off to tailback Michael Pittman and fullback Jaime Kimbrough.
In his first two years in the program, Pittman has rushed for 828 yards and eight touchdowns. Injuries have kept him from reaching the all-star potential predicted when he came out of high school in 1993.
The top returning receiver is Brian Roberson, who pulled down 55 passes last year for 758 yards and five touchdowns. Junior college transfers Greg Minnatee and Jason McCorvey also are expected to have a big impact.
The impact players in the kicking game are Johan Lyssand, Amen Torigian and punter Jeff Roberts. Lyssand hit 19 of 28 field goals last year, while Roberts averaged 38.5 yards a punt.
"Our goal is to get back into conference consideration this season," Sweeney said. "To do that, we must improve defensively and maintain the offensive consistency we've had over the years."
Game day Sept. 28
Where Fresno Calif.
Starters back 17
Last meeting UH 42, FSU 37
All-time vs. UH 15-12-1