The nightmarish start to the 2025 college football season continued on Saturday, Sept. 20, for Dabo Swinney and Clemson football.
The Tigers fell to 1-3 following a 34-21 loss to ACC foe Syracuse at home, the worst start for Clemson under Swinney since he took over as coach partway through 2008. He led the program to College Football Playoff national championships in 2016 and 2018 and owns a 181-50 career record.
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Clemson opened the season with a 17-10 loss to LSU and then barely defeated Troy 27-16 before losing to Georgia Tech 24-21 last week.
The college football world has already seen the firings of DeShaun Foster at UCLA and Brent Pry at Virginia Tech in 2025. If Clemson were to follow in the steps of those two programs, here’s what to know about what it would cost the Tigers to move on from Swinney:
Dabo Swinney buyout
Clemson would owe Swinney $60 million if it fired the coach without cause before Dec. 31, 2025. The Tigers are not entitled to offset if Swinney took a job elsewhere for the contract that is set to run through Dec. 31, 2031.
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Per Swinney’s contract:
“Coach shall not be required to seek other employment in order to receive the Severance Benefit … and the University shall pay the Severance Benefit regardless of whether Coach seeks or obtains other employment after the termination of his employment with the University. If Coach obtains other employment, the University expressly waives and acknowledges that it is not entitled to any mitigation of the Severance Benefit owed to Coach.”
Clemson could pay Swinney’s $60 million in monthly installments over the remaining term, ending on Dec. 31, 2031, or a lump sum in 90 days after the effective date of the termination. If the university terminated the contract before Dec. 31, 2027, the severance Benefit is slated to be paid in monthly installments.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dabo Sweeny buyout, contract: What Clemson would owe coach if fired
