College Sports

Clemson Makes Dabo Swinney 2nd-Highest-Paid Head Coach

The 10-year, $115 million contract keeps him with Clemson through 2031.
He trails only Alabama’s Nick Saban as the nation’s highest-paid head coach.

By Doug Greenberg

Sep 08, 2022 | 11:22 am

UPDATED Jun 06, 2024 | 10:18 am

Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

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One of college football’s preeminent programs has locked in its head coach as it seeks a return to national championship glory.

On Thursday, Clemson announced that it has signed Dabo Swinney to a new contract that will keep him with the school through 2031.

Per multiple reports, the new deal begins this season and is for $115 million in total — making Swinney ($11.5) the second-highest-paid head coach in the nation by AAV behind only Alabama’s Nick Saban ($11.7M).

Clemson has approved a new contract for Dabo Swinney:

10 years, $115 million 💰

It makes him the nation's 2nd-highest paid head coach annually, trailing only Nick Saban. pic.twitter.com/OYxRGQUtJ6
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) September 8, 2022

Since going undefeated and winning the College Football Playoff National Championship in 2018, Swinney’s Tigers have not returned to the pinnacle of the sport, and did not play in the ACC Championship for the first time since 2014 after a disappointing 2021 campaign.

Clemson opened the 2022 season with a convincing 41-10 victory over Georgia Tech on Monday.