Here we go again. The national media wants you to believe Dabo Swinney’s seat at Clemson is suddenly on fire, as if the man who built this program from the ground up is suddenly on the verge of being run out of town. After everything he’s done for Clemson, we’re supposed to buy that his days are numbered? Give me a break.
CBS Sports just released its rankings for the 2026 season, and their panel of so-called experts has an opinion on all 138 FBS head coaches. And yes, that includes Dabo Swinney—the same coach who put Clemson on the national map and made the Tigers a household name.
Swinney lands with a hot seat rating of 3.1, which CBS Sports says means 'pressure is mounting' heading into 2026. Only 14 coaches are in that territory, but let’s be real: this is uncharted territory for a coach who turned Clemson into a national powerhouse and changed the entire landscape of ACC football.
Swinney’s stock has taken a hit in the latest head coach rankings, mostly because of last season’s stumble and just one College Football Playoff appearance since 2020. Not that long ago, he was a lock for the top three on every list. Now, if you listen to the national talking heads, you’d think those glory days are ancient history. Funny how quickly they forget.
the third-best coach in the ACC, behind Miami’s Mario Cristobal and Virginia Tech’s James Franklin. For anyone who’s watched Clemson’s rise under Swinney, that’s a tough one to swallow. Are we really pretending his resume doesn’t speak for itself?
The 56-year-old Swinney is entering his 19th season (and 18th full season) as Clemson’s head coach in 2026, with a career head coaching record of 187-53. He is Clemson’s all-time winningest coach, the winningest coach in ACC history and the first coach to lead the Tigers to multiple national championships.
Clemson opened last season stacked with future NFL talent and a No. 4 ranking in the AP Poll. On paper, the Tigers looked ready for another national title run. Instead, they stumbled out of the gate at 1-3 and were out of the ACC title race and playoff hunt before October even rolled around. No one saw that coming.
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