If Dabo Swinney ever has any inclination to leave for his alma mater, Clemson has made sure he thinks twice.
With two national titles in the last three seasons and no sign of slowing down, Dabo Swinney can be the head coach at Clemson as long as he wants to be. On Friday, the school announced a 10-year, $93 million contract that will keep Swinney in place through 2028. In terms of total money, it is the richest contract for a coach in college football history.
According to USA Today’s salary database, Swinney was the seventh-highest paid coach in college football last season ($6.2 million in salary, before bonuses). He’s now set to top last year’s highest-paid coach, Nick Saban. Saban is slated to make $8.7 million next season, while Swinney will earn a total of $10.25 million ($8.25 in base salary) in the first year of his new deal.
According to the Greenville News, Swinney will get salary increases to $8.5 million in 2021 and 2022, then $8.75 million in 2023, $9 million in 2024, $9.25 million in 2025, $9.5 million in 2026 and $10 million in 2027 and 2028.
In terms of actual commitment, contracts for college coaches typically down come down to the buyout they would owe if they left. The buyout details of Swinney’s new deal are out, including what can accurately be called a “poison pill” if he leaves for one school in particular.
As an Alabama alum and former assistant coach there, Swinney has been seen as a potential successor to Saban as head coach of the Crimson Tide. But Clemson has made that potential exit a little less palatable financially, particularly through 2022 on a dollar-for-dollar basis, if it’s even on Swinney or Alabama’s radar right now.
From a 6-7 record in his third season (2010) to an annual national title contender, Swinney has built Clemson into one of the top programs in college football. The school has now made a move to make sure that success continues for the next decade, even with a bit of irrational fear Swinney would consider leaving for his alma mater.