A closer look at the Alabama clause in Dabo Swinney’s new Clemson contract

New deal.

Same Alabama clause.

Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney’s 10-year, $115 million contract announced Thursday extends him through the 2031 season while keeping a higher employee buyout in place if he ever leaves the school to coach the Crimson Tide.

A similar clause appeared in Swinney’s 2019 contract, his latest before Thursday’s.

Swinney’s annual employee buyout if he leaves to coach Alabama is 1.5 times higher annually than it is for any other college, according to a terms sheet released Thursday. Swinney owes nothing to Clemson if he leaves for an NFL head coaching job, per his new contract.

“How I look at that is Coach’s commitment to Clemson,” director of athletics Graham Neff said Thursday of Swinney’s Alabama clause. “If you were to look at the market for the buyouts, Coach’s buyout to Clemson even before any of the additive for Alabama specifically is the highest of his market, the top 10 markets.”

Neff added: “That commitment that he has to Clemson sets the market ... that’s how I see those buyout dollars, because there’s a lot of them around the country and the market that aren’t a whole lot if anything. So even those dollars there from Coach are emblematic of his commitment to Clemson.”

Entering his 14th full season as Clemson’s head coach, Swinney has twice defeated his alma mater Alabama to win College Football Playoff national championships in 2016 and 2018 while becoming the sixth fastest coach in FBS history to reach 150 career wins.

Swinney, who’s won seven ACC championships and guided Clemson to six of the last seven College Football Playoffs, said in a Thursday release his new contract is “representative of what has been collectively built here and the success we’ve had both academically and athletically. It is a reflection of the ALL IN commitment of so many people, including our players, our staff, our fans, our administration and our University leadership.”

“Coach Swinney and his family’s impact on our community and department cannot be understated, and his success and stability nationally is truly uncommon,” Neff said in a release. “It is critical that Clemson continue to invest in our football program, and ensure our head coach is at Clemson for a long, long time. The best is yet to come.”

Why an Alabama clause?

Though the 52-year-old Swinney appears to be in no rush to leave Clemson, rumors have long swirled that he’d be a top choice for the Crimson Tide following the ultimate retirement of the 70-year-old Nick Saban, who’s led Alabama to six national championships.

Swinney, an Pelham, Alabama native, lettered three years at Alabama as a wide receiver (1990-92) and coached there as a graduate assistant, wide receivers coach and tight ends coach (1993-2000) before arriving at Clemson in 2003. He’s been with the Tigers ever since.

Saban in August agreed to a one-year contract extension that keeps him in Tuscaloosa through 2029, when he’ll be 79, and pushed him past former assistant and current Georgia coach Kirby Smart ($11.25 million) as the highest paid coach in college football ($11.7 million).

At a new annual salary of $11.5 million, Swinney jumped ahead of Smart and only trails Saban in annual compensation. Here’s a closer look at Swinney’s employee buyout numbers for Alabama versus other schools, as well as other contract details.

Dabo Swinney employee buyout

Per the contract, “Should Employee terminate early for the purpose of accepting employment in another position with duties of or substantially similar to a collegiate head coach,” Swinney would owe Clemson:

• 2022: $9 million (Alabama HC buyout), $6 million (any other school HC buyout)

• 2023: $7.5 million (Alabama); $5 million (other)

• 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 there’s “no amount owed” if Swinney accepts an NFL head coach position and that “Employee shall notify Director of Athletics prior to discussions by Employee or his agents for other employment.”

Performance incentives

The following annual performance incentives are listed in Swinney’s contract:

• ACC championship game appearance: $50,000

• ACC championship game win: $200,000

• Non-CFP bowl game with 8-plus regular-season wins: $75,000

• New Year’s non-CFP semifinal bowl: $150,000

• CFP appearance (upon expansion only) $150,000

• CFP semifinal appearance: $250,000

• CFP championship appearance: $250,000

• CFP championship win: $350,000

• Single-year academic progress rate (APR) ≥ 950: $75,000

• Single-year APR ≥ 975: $100,000

• ACC Coach of the Year Award: $25,000

• National Coach of the Year Award: $50,000

The maximum cumulative annual incentives are $1.5 million, per the contract.

Other buyout notes

If Clemson were to fire Swinney “with cause,” meaning something improper has happened or been alleged, the school owes the coach nothing. If Clemson fires Swinney without cause, it would owe Swinney this much according to when that decision is made:

• 2022: $64 million

• 2023: $64 million

• 2024: $60 million

• 2025: $60 million

• 2026: $57 million

• 2027: Remaining total compensation

• 2028: Remaining total compensation

• 2029: Remaining total compensation

• 2030: Remaining total compensation

• 2031: Remaining total compensation