Walk through the streets of Clemson, South Carolina, right now and you'll feel it. There is a tension in the air that hasn't existed for a decade. The orange-clad faithful are restless. After a 2025 season that felt like a slow-motion car crash—finishing with a 7-6 record and a lackluster Pinstripe Bowl loss to Penn State—the question on everyone’s lips is simple: is dabo swinney fired yet?
Honestly, the answer is a flat no. But it’s a "no" with a lot of asterisks attached.
Dabo Swinney isn't just a coach at Clemson; he’s an institution. He’s the guy who took a program that used to "Clemson" away big games and turned it into a two-time National Champion. But in 2026, loyalty only buys you so much. If you're looking for a pink slip, you won't find one in his office today. What you will find is a coach who is finally, painfully, realizing that the "old way" of doing things might be dead.
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The Reality Check: Is Dabo Swinney Fired or Just Firing Everyone Else?
If you want to know how close a coach is to the edge, look at their staff. On December 29, 2025, Swinney pulled the trigger on a massive overhaul. He parted ways with offensive coordinator Garrett Riley and safeties coach Mickey Conn. This wasn't a minor tweak. It was a survival move.
Riley was supposed to be the "wunderkind" who fixed the offense. Instead, the Tigers averaged a middling 27.2 points per game. That doesn't cut it when you’re paying a guy millions to innovate. By bringing back Chad Morris—a familiar face from the 2011-2014 glory days—Swinney is basically trying to recapture lightning in a bottle. It’s a "back to the future" strategy that smells a little like desperation, or at the very least, a deep-seated desire to trust someone he knows won't challenge his core philosophy.
The $57 Million Elephant in the Room
Let’s talk money. You’ve probably heard people say Dabo is "unfireable." In college football, nobody is unfireable, but some people are just really, really expensive to get rid of.
Swinney is currently sitting on a 10-year, $115 million contract that runs through 2031. If Clemson Athletic Director Graham Neff wanted to fire him without cause right now, the university would be looking at a buyout of roughly $57 million. That is a staggering amount of money, even for a Power Four school with deep-pocketed boosters.
To put it simply:
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- The 2026 Buyout: Approximately $57,000,000.
- The "Alabama Clause": If Dabo leaves for Alabama, his buyout actually increases by 150%.
- The Trend: The buyout doesn't start to become "reasonable" (in the crazy world of sports) until around 2028 or 2029.
Basically, Clemson is financially married to Dabo for at least another two seasons unless the wheels completely fall off.
Why the "Fire Dabo" Crowds Are Getting Louder
It isn't just the 7-6 record. It's the way they're losing. In 2025, Clemson lost four games at home. For a team that used to treat Death Valley like an impenetrable fortress, that’s embarrassing. They lost to SMU. They lost to Duke. They even got handled by a Syracuse team they should have outmatched on talent alone.
The biggest gripe? The Transfer Portal.
Swinney has famously treated the portal like it’s a contagious disease. While rivals like Florida State and Georgia use it to plug holes instantly, Dabo has historically insisted on "building from the ground up" with high school recruits.
"I feel like the preacher at a Vegas wedding chapel," Swinney recently joked about the portal’s lightning-fast pace.
It’s a funny line, but fans aren't laughing. In an era where you can buy a championship-caliber roster in one offseason, Dabo’s stubbornness feels less like "integrity" and more like "obsolescence." He did take three portal players last year—a record for him—but it felt like a drop of water in a desert.
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The Vote of Confidence (For Now)
Despite the noise, Graham Neff has been publicly supportive. In December 2025, Neff stated that Swinney's ability to develop men is "unmatched." He called Dabo an "incredible fit" for the university.
But you've been around sports long enough to know what a "vote of confidence" usually means. It means you’re safe until you aren't. Neff is under pressure too. He has to balance the legacy of the winningest coach in school history against the reality of a declining product on the field.
The fact that Neff was spotted in the post-game press conference after the Duke loss—something he doesn't usually do—sent shockwaves through the fan base. Dabo even joked, "I may get fired today." He was smiling, but it was the kind of smile you see from someone who knows they just dodged a bullet.
What has to change in 2026?
If Swinney wants to avoid being the next legendary coach to stay too long at the fair, he has to evolve. Here is what the 2026 roadmap looks like:
- The Chad Morris Experiment: The offense has to be explosive again. Period. No more "Dirt Raid" experiments that result in 10 points against LSU.
- Portal Aggression: Reports suggest Clemson might triple its portal intake in 2026. If Dabo doesn't land at least 5-8 high-impact veterans to replace the departing seniors, the roster depth will crumble.
- NIL Engagement: The "Clemson Way" used to mean you came for the culture and stayed for the degree. In 2026, you come for the money and stay if the NIL checks clear. Dabo has to embrace being a CEO of a professional-adjacent organization.
The "Is Dabo Swinney Fired" Verdict
No, Dabo Swinney has not been fired. He is currently the head coach of the Clemson Tigers and is actively recruiting for the 2026 season. However, the "lifetime achievement" pass has expired.
The 2025 season was a wake-up call that the program has slipped from "Elite" to "Above Average." In Clemson, "Above Average" is a fast track to the exit. He has the support of the administration today, but if 2026 starts with a couple of losses, that $57 million buyout might start looking like a bargain to a frustrated donor base.
What you should watch for next
Keep a close eye on the January transfer portal window. If Clemson is quiet, it means Dabo is doubling down on his old ways, and the hot seat will only get hotter. If they are aggressive, it’s a sign that the "preacher" is finally ready to perform some Vegas weddings to save his job.
Monitor the spring practice reports regarding the integration of Chad Morris's new offensive scheme. The success or failure of this coordinator change will likely determine Swinney's fate by November. Check the official Clemson Tigers website or local South Carolina sports outlets for updated roster moves as the portal closes on January 16.