Clemson Football: Dabo Swinney gets a raise and extension

Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney got a raise and contract extension Thursday as the Clemson Board of Trustees approved a 10-year, $115 million contract extension that runs through Dec. 31, 2031.

Swinney will make $10.5 million in 2022 and the average salary through the length of the contract is $11.5 million per year.

Swinney’s becomes the second highest paid head coach in college football behind Nick Saban’s $10.7 at Alabama.

There were those that hoped Dabo would move on, upset by NIL and the transfer portal, but it sounds like Swinney plans to be around as head coach for a while.

With Monday’s victory over Georgia Tech Swinney’s record at Clemson improved to 151-36 (.807), with two National Championships in four title game appearances, seven ACC Championships and nine ACC Atlantic Division Championships.

Swinney has accumulated a 6-4 record in the College Football Playoff and the Tigers have won at least 10 games for 11 straight seasons.

The streak of 10 win seasons began in 2011, after Swinney struggled to a 19-15 record over the first two and a half seasons as head coach.

Since the beginning of 2011 Clemson has a record of 132-21 under Swinney, a winning percentage of 86.2%.

Dabo Swinney has developed Clemson football to a point where a 10-3 season is considered a major disappointment not only to the fan base, but the media, both national and local.

He has developed the program to a point where a 10-3 season is considered a major disappointment to not only the fan base, but the media, both national and local.

Swinney played wide receiver at Alabama and unlike most other college coaches he’s only coached at two schools: Alabama from 1993-2000 and Clemson from 2003 to the present.

After initially struggling with in-state rival South Carolina, the Tigers have dominated the Gamecocks over the last seven meetings, including blasting South Carolina in Columbia last season by a score of 30-0.

Despite his game record and achievements of his players both on and off the field, there are many who continue to doubt his methods and predict that the Clemson model is not sustainable in the new world of NIL and the transfer portal.