Dabo Swinney doesn’t rule out the possibility of coaching in the NFL

There has been plenty of speculation that Dabo Swinney could take over as the head coach at Alabama when Nick Saban retires, but Swinney was asked about the possibility of leaving Clemson for a different job on Monday.

Swinney appeared live on several ESPN shows throughout the day Monday, including NFL Live.

He was asked about several Clemson players currently excelling in the NFL during a segment on NFL Live and then was asked if he would ever consider coaching in the NFL.

“I’ve never really thought much about it. Nobody’s really ever called me and said, ‘Hey, do you want to come coach this NFL team?’ I’ve never really put much thought into it,” Swinney said. “I’ve always just been so focused on what I’m doing. I guess you never say never.”

Swinney agreed to a contract extension with Clemson last August that will pay him $54 million over eight years. The current deal runs through the 2024 season and pays an average of $6.75 million per season.

Swinney said on NFL Live he enjoys the college game, but he did not rule out possibly coaching in the NFL down the road.

“I like recruiting. I like teaching. I like mentoring. I like the challenge of college football, but who knows,” he said. “I’ve still got a long time to go hopefully and a lot of football in front of me. We’ll see.”

This story was originally published July 23, 2018 at 2:50 PM.