Dabo Swinney thinks it’s okay for coaches to make money, but not players

Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney created a stir for his comments about those who point to coaches salaries when discussing why athletes should get paid.

The NCAA’s name, image and likeness program kicked in last year, which saw college athletes able to sign deals to earn money. In the past, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney was outspoken about college athletics potentially becoming pay-for-play.

In a recent interview with ESPN’s Chris Low, Swinney commented on those who point out coaches salaries as a reason why college athletes should make a profit before they arrive on campus. Here are his full comments below, courtesy of the ESPN article linked above:

"Well, Nick Saban is 70 years old. I’m 52 years old. None of us set markets on what we do. We live in a capitalist society. The head of Delta probably makes a lot more than the people who are checking your baggage in, but those people are as vital as anybody. None of us set markets on what we do. It’s a free market we live in, in anything. It’s just that our jobs are so visible and so public. I can tell you this: None of us got into coaching to make money, but I don’t apologize for being successful."

Dabo Swinney’s comments on why coaches should get paid and not players

Swinney continued about coaches salaries. He said that he even believes that Saban is “probably underpaid” when asked if college football coaches make too much money. Saban signed a new contract extension with Alabama last August, where he makes an average of $10.6 million a year until the deal expires at the end of the 2028 season.

Back in 2019, Swinney signed a 10-year contract extension with Clemson, which totals $93 million and keeps him with the team through the 2028 season.

The Clemson head coach has been outspoken about what he calls “the professionalization of college football.” He gave his definition in the quote below, h/t ESPN.

"Getting away from scholarships and getting away from academics. Ninety-eight percent of these kids are not playing in the NFL. That’s one of the reasons I do like the NIL because 98% of them aren’t going to make the NFL, so it’s good while they have a nice platform that they can take advantage of these opportunities. … As adults, we should do everything we can to incentivize education — period, the end — and that ain’t ever going to change for me because I know ultimately that’s what creates generational change in young people’s lives. … So, for me, I’ve always been about education and the collegiate model and the collegiate experience, and I don’t think what’s been created now is healthy for the game, and in the long run, I don’t think it’s healthy for the young people."

You can read Swinney’s full comments in the ESPN article linked above.

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