Clemson Tigers HC Dabo Swinney Gets Absolutely Shredded

There was a time when Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney was one of the most respected men in college football, but there is no question that he has lost some of his luster over the last several seasons.

Clemson appeared in four National Championship Games between 2015 and 2019, winning two of them. At the time, Swinney appeared to be headed for all-time great status. But the wheels have come off since.

The Tigers have not won a playoff game since the 2020-21 campaign, and last season, Clemson went just 7-6 and lost to Penn State in the Pinstripe Bowl, marking the team's worst finish since Swinney's second full year at the helm in 2010.

Some have even questioned Swinney's job security heading into 2026, but with the 56-year-old having a $57 million buyout in his contract, a dismissal probably isn't happening.

A caller recently brought that aspect up to Paul Finebaum on his radio show, and Finebaum took that opportunity to rip Swinney.

“First of all, these buyouts are absurd. … What program has ever tried to hire Dabo Swinney? Why do you get that type of leverage at the back end of your contract. Dabo’s never gotten an offer,” Finebaum said.

Finebaum then went on to say that he doesn't see any parallels to Kalen DeBoer's massive buyout clause at Alabama.

“People can get upset about DeBoer, but the reason he got the contract [a new seven-year, $87.5 million extension] is that they thought he might leave,” Finebaum added. “Nobody wants Dabo Swinney. Alabama, his alma mater, could’ve easily called him. That didn’t even enter their thought process.”

This certainly isn't the first time that Finebaum has blasted Swinney. Last month, the well-known analyst said he didn't have any faith or belief in the Clemson coach any longer and then predicted that the Tigers would go 8-4 in 2026.

While Finebaum's criticism is harsh, it is sadly somewhat understandable given how far the Clemson program has fallen in recent years.

For example, the Tigers posted 12 straight double-digit win campaigns between 2011 and 2022, but they have registered single-digit victories in two of the last three years.

Swinney's failure to utilize the transfer portal (up until this year) and his archaic recruiting methods have definitely made things difficult for Clemson.

We'll see if the Tigers can bounce back this coming fall. 

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