The Dabo Swinney era for Clemson might be on its last legs. Despite having two national titles and 188 wins on his résumé, it’s fair to say his best days are behind him.
Clemson kicked off this season with a 51-10 loss to LSU, a clear sign that Swinney’s squad wasn’t ready to handle true title contenders. A week later, his team secured an unimpressive 22-7 win at home over Georgia Southern.
While there’s still plenty of football left to be played this season, Clemson fans aren’t so sure Swinney will make it to December.
After Clemson fell behind 14-3 to North Carolina this Saturday, a handful of fans and football analysts started questioning if this is the game that gets Swinney fired.
Sep 5, 2026; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney looks on against LSU Tigers during the second half at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
“Hope Clemson is making some calls to get the cash to buy out Dabo,” Geoff Schwartz of SiriusXM NFL said.
“Dabo…… it might be time to leave,” one fan said.
“Is Dabo going to get fired by halftime,” a second fan asked.
“This is the week Dabo gets fired,” another fan declared.
Dabo’s buyout is awfully expensive.
According to CBS Sports, Clemson would have to cough up $57 million to move on from Swinney this year. Firing him in 2027 would actually cost the university an additional $3 million.
“His remaining total compensation starting in 2027 is $60 million, meaning it’s actually cheaper for Clemson to fire Swinney sooner rather than later,” CBS Sports reported. “The problem is that still requires Clemson to come up with $57 million, and it would be on the hook for all of that. Unlike most contracts, Swinney’s deal does not include a mitigation clause, which means if he goes and takes another job — which he stated clearly in 2025 that he would — Clemson would not see their portion of the buyout reduced.
While moving on from Swinney would be expensive, Clemson may have no choice. The program has gone from competing for national championships to hovering over .500 in the regular season.
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This story was originally published September 19, 2026 at 11:59 AM.