‘Pressure is mounting’ on Clemson coach Dabo Swinney, CBS hot seat rankings say
Last year, Clemson’s Dabo Swinney was one of 28 college football coaches deemed “untouchable” in CBS Sports’ annual hot seat rankings.
But going 7-6 with a preseason Top 5 team changes things.
After posting his worst record since 2010, Swinney dropped three categories in CBS Sports’ 2026 hot seat rankings released Wednesday. Previously “untouchable,” he’s now one of 14 coaches listed in the website’s “pressure is mounting” category.
That’s CBS Sports’ third-warmest category behind “Win or be fired” (three coaches) and “Start improving now” (three coaches, including South Carolina’s Shane Beamer).
Last year, coming off a 10-4 season, ACC championship and College Football Playoff appearance, Swinney’s average ranking was a 0.22 out of 5, as voted on by the websites’ experts. That placed him in the lowest (and safest) of five categories.
This year, his average ranking among 10 voters is a 3.1 out of 5.
Last year’s Clemson team was ranked preseason No. 4 by The Associated Press but lost three of its first four games and five of its first eight games. The Tigers also finished 4-4 in the ACC and had their first losing home record (3-4) since 1998.
It was Swinney’s worst record since going 6-7 in his second full season in 2010.
Dabo Swinney’s Clemson record, contract
Swinney, 56, is entering his 18th full season (19th overall) as Clemson’s coach. At 187-53 (.779), he is the winningest coach in program history and ACC history. He’s won two national titles with the Tigers (2016, 2018) and has appeared in two more.
Swinney’s currently in the fifth year of a 10-year contract signed in 2031 and will earn $11.5 million in total salary in 2026 before bonuses. That’s a top 10 head coaching salary nationally, according to USA Today Sports’ database.
Clemson would owe Swinney $57 million if it fires him without cause (for on-field performance reasons) in 2026. In December, Tigers Athletic Director Graham Neff praised Swinney and said he had “full confidence” in the coach’s leadership.
“I expect that to continue for many, many years ahead,” Neff said Dec 9.
