Championships aside, Dabo Swinney's massive salary faces scrutiny as Clemson navigates program shifts and searches for renewed success.
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney has a history of success as a head coach at the college football level.
At one time, the Tigers were the clear rival of Nick Saban's Alabama Crimson Tide to compete for national championships. Swinney won two national titles in 2016 and 2018.
Clemson's last appearance in the national championship game came in 2019, when LSU thrashed the Tigers 42-25 in Trevor Lawrence's final game in college.
Since then, Swinney has had a hard time adapting to changes in college football like the transfer portal and NIL. His coaching skills led Clemson to the College Football Playoff in 2024, but 2025 was a disaster, with the program falling to 7-6.
Because of Clemson's sustained success under Swinney, he's tied with USC head coach Lincoln Riley as the No. 6 highest-paid coach in the country at $11.5 million per season.
Robby Kalland of CBS Sports thinks Swinney is the "most fascinating" head coach currently paid a top 10 salary.
"Perhaps the most fascinating coach on this list, Swinney is the unquestioned best coach in Clemson history," Kalland wrote. "However, with each year, those national championships move further in the rearview, and it's hard not to believe the Tigers have been lapped by the SEC and Big Ten contenders they were once on par with.
"The Tigers' struggles have led some to wonder if Clemson could really consider ousting the legendary coach this offseason. If nothing else, he'll have to show he can still make Clemson a threat in 2026."
Swinney is taking his situation at Clemson more seriously this offseason than he has in the past. He made notable changes to the coaching staff, replacing offensive coordinator Garrett Riley with Chad Morris and making former Raiders interim head coach Rich Bisaccia the special teams coordinator.
Morris will give Swinney some familiarity with the offense, but the offensive coordinator has not called plays since 2020.
Swinney also made aggressive moves to add talent in the transfer portal.
The Tigers are paying Swinney too much money for the head coach to revel in the past. Clemson needs Swinney to have success on the field that matches his paycheck, or the program should consider finding a better or cheaper option.