The Compensation Committee, as a part of Clemson University’s Board of Trustees, officially approved a new contract for head football coach Dabo Swinney Friday that will make him the second highest paid head coach in college football in terms of yearly average.
The board approved a new deal worth $93 million over 10 years, the largest deal in terms of total dollars in college football.
Swinney’s $9.3 million per-year average is second only to Alabama head coach Nick Saban, who made $9.4 million last year.
“Dabo’s leadership of our football program has brought value, exposure and unprecedented levels of success, not only to our athletics program, but to the entire university,” Clemson athletic director Dan Radakovich said. “He has demonstrated the ability to consistently achieve at the highest level on and off the field, and he has done so with a commitment to integrity and core principles. This new agreement is evidence of Clemson’s steadfast commitment to Dabo and to our football program, and we are thrilled that he and his family will be a part of our community for years to come.”
The first year of Swinney’s new deal will be worth $8.25 million, and it will gradually increase over the life of the contract.
Swinney’s contract will run through the 2028. In 2025, he is expected to be making $9.25 million and it increases to $10 million by 2027.
“I am grateful and humbled by the incredible commitment Clemson has made to me, my family and our football program,” Swinney said in a prepared statement. “For more than a decade, we have given our all to provide this world-class university and our incredible fans the championship football program they deserve – to live up to Best is the Standard.
“With this contract, we make a collective statement that we intend to continue pursuing championships and developing total student-athletes for years to come. Our sustained continuity in vision, people and culture has been a key ingredient to our success, on- and off-the field. I am thankful for the leadership we have at Clemson and appreciate all they do for Clemson Football. I am truly blessed to be your head football coach.”
The BOT also approved an additional year back on defensive coordinator Brent Venables contract, pushing it back to a five-year deal, which is worth $11 million. Venables $2 million salary last year was the second highest for an assistant coach in college football.
Venables got a $200,000 retention bonus in January, which is written into his contract.
“The football program, under the direction of Coach Swinney, has been a great source of pride for the Clemson Family,” said President Jim Clements. “The success of the football program has helped to elevate the entire profile of the institution. We’ve seen all-time highs in applications, fundraising and numerous other areas. This is in part due to the national visibility that our football team’s success has brought to the university. We are excited to have Coach Swinney and his family with us for at least another decade.”
Clemson’s head football coach just finished his second full-year of an 8-year deal he signed in August of 2017. That deal was supposed to run through 2024 and was worth $54 million, an average yearly salary of $6.75 million, not including incentive and retention bonuses.
Swinney was expected to make $6.2 million this coming year.
Under Swinney’s guidance, the Clemson football program is coming off its second national championship season in three years. In both instances, the Tigers took down Saban’s Alabama Crimson Tide.
This past January, Clemson completed the greatest season in college football since 1897 when it went 15-0. The Tigers won 13 of those 15 games by 20 or more points, including a 44-16 rout of Alabama in the National Championship.
The Tigers also beat Notre Dame, 30-3, at the Cotton Bowl as part of the College Football Playoff Semifinals.
Heading into his 11th full season as Clemson’s head coach, Swinney owns a 116-30 record (.795). Besides taking down Alabama and Notre Dame, he has also led the Tigers to wins over Texas A&M, Georgia, Auburn, Ohio State, LSU and Oklahoma.
Clemson is 10-2 against SEC teams since 2015 and has won four straight ACC Championships. In all, the Tigers have won five ACC Championships under Swinney, have played in the CFP four times and has played for the national championship three times.
Since 2011, Clemson and Alabama are the only two programs to win 10 games or more every year. During that span, the Tigers are 97-15 overall.
In February, Clemson’s BOT approved new contracts for nine of Swinney’s 10 on-field coaches, which combined made his assistant coaches’ salaries worth $7.195 million.