Most would agree that the Clemson Tigers (4-5) are one of the biggest disappointments in college football this season.
Much has been made about the future of head coach Dabo Swinney, who hasn’t had a losing season since he went 6-7 in 2010, but the consensus is his job is safe, according to Pete Nakos of On3.
Not to mention Swinney’s $60 million buyout all but assures he’s coming back to Clemson next year and beyond.
Though the Tigers have lost a few games it probably should’ve won this year — Georgia Tech, Syracuse, Duke — there’s no denying that Swinney’s resistance to adapt to the changing landscape of college football (he’s been opposed to teams building rosters through the transfer portal, though his stance has softened on using NIL to land high-profile recruits) has affected Clemson’s recent success.
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Some have speculated Swinney might be a better fit at some of the open high-profile coaching vacancies right now including Penn State, LSU, Florida, and Auburn, but Swinney has also made it clear that he expects to stay in the ACC until Clemson fires him.
While his job appears to be secure, the same can’t be said for his assistant coaches, who according to Nakos, are in danger of being replaced in the offseason.
“Dabo Swinney’s job is safe despite the 4-5 season,” Nakos reported. “He’s the winningest head coach in Clemson football and ACC history. But around the industry, the expectation is that Swinney will be making changes to his staff this offseason. The Tigers rank 10th in the ACC in total offense and No. 9 in total defense.”
It’s not known which assistants are on the hot seat, but there’s a good chance those changes could start with offensive coordinator Garrett Riley, co-offensive coordinator Kyle Richardson, defensive coordinator Tom Allen, and associate head coach/co-defensive coordinator Nick Eason.
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