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Dabo Swinney’s name is being mentioned for Alabama football job as Nick Saban retires
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Dabo Swinney’s name is being mentioned for Alabama football job as Nick Saban retires

For years, rumors have swirled that Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney would be a leading candidate for the Alabama job if Nick Saban decided to leave.

That is now being put to the test.

After ESPN reported Wednesday afternoon that Saban, 72, was retiring after winning six national championships in 17 seasons at Alabama, a handful of national reporters informally linked Swinney to the Crimson Tide.

Dozens of other social media users chimed in with their thoughts on the potential (and long-rumored) spot in Tuscaloosa, given Swinney’s previous ties to the program as a player and coach before becoming an industry star at Clemson.

Speculation was also fueled by the fact that Swinney’s current contract includes an “Alabama clause” that makes it 1.5 times more expensive for him to leave Clemson for Alabama than any other school.

The school confirmed Saban’s decision to retire on Wednesday evening.

Alabama Coaching Search List

ESPN’s Pete Thamel said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday that Swinney was on his “highly projected target list” of candidates for the Crimson Tide, while The Action Network’s Brett McMurphy reported that Oregon coach Dan Lanning is expected to be Alabama’s top target.

Thamel included Lanning, Washington coach Kalen DeBoer, Penn State coach James Franklin, Florida State coach Mike Norvell and Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman on his short list. And national radio host Colin Cowherd also said Swinney and DeBoer were “two names I’m hearing for Bama.”

As one of the top programs in the sport, Alabama can naturally cast a wide net and target high-profile incumbent coaches. The Crimson Tide went 12-2 in 2023, reaching the College Football Playoff after beating Georgia in the SEC championship game and losing to Michigan in the Rose Bowl.

Swinney, who just completed his 15th season as Clemson’s full-time coach, has deep ties to the state and the program. Originally from Pelham, Alabama, he played three years at Alabama as a wide receiver (1990-92) for legendary coach Gene Stallings.

He also coached there as a graduate assistant, wide receivers coach and tight ends coach from 1993-2000 before arriving at Clemson as receivers coach in 2003. He has been with the Tigers since then, winning national championships in 2016 and 2018 and becoming the winningest coach in program history.

Swinney is in the second season of a 10-year, $115 million contract he signed in September 2022 that keeps him under contract through 2031. His total salary for 2023 was $10.75 million, the second-highest in the country behind Saban ($11.1 million), according to a USA TODAY Sports database.

Swinney, 54, has had a few viral run-ins with fans during Clemson’s 2023 season, at one point insinuating that the Tigers losing a few games could help “hitch the wagon.” He also had a viral tirade on his radio show in response to a fan, identified as Tyler from Spartanburg, who questioned his qualifications and high salary.

“I work for the board of trustees, the president and the AD,” Swinney said on Oct. 30, part of a tirade that made national waves. “And if they get tired of me running this program, all they have to do is let me know. I’m going somewhere else where there’s appreciation.”

Swinney was mentioned as a candidate for the job at Texas A&M, which ultimately went to Mike Elko late last year. National pundits cited interactions with the Clemson fan base as a possible reason for Swinney to consider another school.

Through a team spokesperson, The State reached out to Swinney Wednesday afternoon for comment on the Alabama vacancy.

Swinney has responded to rumors of taking the Alabama job after Saban retires on several occasions in the past, telling ESPN in 2019 that he pays “no attention” to such ideas.

“People always like to say one plus one equals two and it’s very simple,” he said at the time, adding: “I’ve been at Alabama for 13 years. I love Alabama and I always will. That’s not going to change. But I’m going into my 17th year at Clemson, my 11th as a head coach. I love where I’m at, love what I’m doing.”

Swinney also addressed the possibility in a 2017 ESPN podcast interview, saying he was especially “honored” by the suggestions or calls to take over Alabama given the status of the program.

“I’ve always said, ‘Never say never,’ because you have no idea what the dynamics are going to be,” Swinney said on that podcast. “Ten years from now, Alabama might call me and want me to come to Alabama, and the people at Clemson might hate me. I don’t know. I might have a terrible president or a terrible AD.”

“There is a dynamic that can change. I am always focused on being great where I am and thriving where I am planted.”

Dec 29, 2023; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney looks on before the Gator Bowl against the Kentucky Wildcats at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY SportsDec 29, 2023; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney looks on before the Gator Bowl against the Kentucky Wildcats at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Dec 29, 2023; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney looks on before the Gator Bowl against the Kentucky Wildcats at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Dabo contract Alabama clause

Swinney made headlines in 2019 when it was revealed that his contract extension at the time contained an “Alabama clause” that increased his buyout amount if he left to coach that school instead of another program.

That clause was retained in his 2022 contract extension, and outlines how Swinney’s annual employee buyout payment if he leaves to coach Alabama will be 1.5 times higher annually than he would be for any other college job. According to his contract, “Should Employee terminate early for the purpose of accepting employment in another position with duties of or substantially similar to those of a college head coach,” Swinney and/or his next school would owe Clemson the following:

  • 2024: $7.5 million (Alabama); $5 million (other)

  • 2025: $6 million (Alabama); $4 million (other)

  • 2026: $4.5 million (Alabama); $3 million (other)

  • 2027: $4.5 million (Alabama); $3 million (other)

  • 2028: $3 million (Alabama); $2 million (other)

  • 2029: $3 million (Alabama); $2 million (other)

  • 2030: $1.5 million (Alabama); $1 million (other)

  • 2031: N/A (Alabama); N/A (other)

The contract also states that “no amount shall be due” if Swinney accepts an NFL head coaching position and that “Employee must notify the Director of Athletics prior to any discussions by Employee or his agents for other employment.”

Clemson athletic director Graham Neff said in September 2022 that he saw the higher buyout specifically for Alabama, and Swinney’s high buyout in general, as a sign of his “commitment to Clemson.”

“When you look at the buyout market, Coach’s buyout to Clemson, even before all the additions for Alabama, is the highest (number) in his market, the top 10 markets,” Neff said. “That commitment that he has to Clemson defines the market … that’s how I view those buyout dollars, because there are a lot of (buyouts) around the country and in the market that aren’t all that many, if any.”

“So even those dollars from Coach are symbolic of his commitment to Clemson.”

Social media reacts to Dabo and Alabama