Why Should Dabo Swinney be Fired?

Why Should Dabo Swinney be Fired?

Today is September 19th, 2026. It has been 2,812 days since Clemson won a national championship. It has been 651 days since Clemson won an ACC championship game. It has been 377 days since an AP Poll was released featuring Clemson in the Top 25. Dabo Swinney’s Tigers were once an elite program, but their time is up. And it’s time for him to be fired. 

I do not say this lightly, because Swinney is obviously a legend. He led the Tigers to six consecutive seasons in the College Football Playoffs. He brought a mediocre program to the height of the college football world twice in three years. College football is just much different now, and Swinney is behind the times.

The biggest thing is of course his unwillingness to use the transfer portal like other schools do. That’s far from the only thing that he’s fallen behind on. The playcalling is predictable, the defense is not dominant, and the development that Sweeney believes he can get from his returning players by not using the transfer portal isn’t coming quickly enough. Sure, their recruiting class is expected to be a top 15 class, but in today’s game the best high schoolers just cannot beat the veteran laden, transfer portal using teams anymore. Of course, that’s not fully Swinney’s fault, but failing to adjust is.

What’s Stopping Clemson from Firing Dabo Swinney?

The first and biggest hurdle is obviously his $57 million dollar buyout, and it will continue to be in the 10s of millions until the end of his contract. This is quite literally the only thing stopping Clemson from firing him, as the Clemson community is rapidly turning against him. The financial cost is huge from his contract, but Clemson could see an even steeper financial cost if their football team continues to perform how it has the first few weeks.

Even if they win against North Carolina (this article is being written as the game is in a weather delay), ticket prices are assuredly going to be lower as fans are less willing to go to games. Donors are not going to pay more money to see their team get embarrassed. 

The other thing is that Clemson does still face what could be a slightly softer schedule. LSU is one of the best teams in the nation, and UNC may finally be putting together a competitive team, so it could just be a sign of tough competition. Granted, this Clemson team only beat a very weak Georgia Southern team by 15 at home, but hope is not necessarily lost.

They still have another easy win in Charleston Southern, and potentially easier matchups in Florida State, Cal, Syracuse, Georgia Tech, and South Carolina. If Clemson were to win these games and steal one against say, a Duke or a Virginia Tech, that’s an above .500 season. That is nowhere near what the standard should be for Clemson, but with how big Swinney’s contract buyout is, that could be enough that fans are somewhat satisfied with the results and the school can continue to say they are a competitive football program. 

The reality is that there are just very few outcomes that are positive for Clemson if Swinney continues to be the coach. He is already not only a Clemson legend but a college football coaching legend, and he could make sense elsewhere. But, it’s about time that Clemson goes another direction with their football program.