Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney agreed to a lucrative 10-year, $115-million contract Thursday.
The new deal will keep Swinney under contract as the team’s head coach through the 2031 football season, effectively barring him from leaving the program for another coaching gig. The contract agreement makes Swinney the second-highest paid coach in all of college football on an annual basis, only behind Alabama’s Nick Saban. Swinney’s contract will make him $10.5 million in the 2022-23 season, while Saban will collect $10.7M, according to ESPN,
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
“This agreement is representative of what has been collectively built here and the success we’ve had both academically and athletically. It is a reflection of the ALL IN commitment of so many people, including our players, our staff, our fans, our administration and our University leadership,” Swinney said in a statement about the extension, according to ESPN.
“Our core mission remains unchanged: Graduate our players, equip them with the tools they need for life, give them a great college experience, and win championships,” he added in the statement, according to the Clemson Wire.
Since Swinney took over for Tommy Bowden as head coach in 2008, Clemson has qualified for a Bowl game in every single season. The team has also participated in four National Championship games, winning two of them in 2016 and 2018, respectively, according to Sports Reference. (RELATED: The New York Jets Name Joe Flacco Their Starting Quarterback)
In Clemson’s first game of the new football season Monday, Swinney coached the Tigers to a 41-10 blowout victory over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. We’ll have to wait and see if the legendary coach can get his squad back into the playoffs this season after not qualifying for them last year.