What is Dabo Swinney's Net Worth and Salary?
Dabo Swinney is an American college football coach and former player who has a net worth of $30 million. Dabo Swinney currently serves as the head coach at Clemson University. In that position, he led the Tigers to national championships in both 2017 and 2019, and posted a history-making perfect regular season record in 2018. Notably, Swinney comes in second for the most wins by a Clemson head coach, following only Frank Howard.
Contracts and Salary
In a typical year with base salary and bonuses, Dabo earns around $11.5 million.
On August 25, 2017, Dabo Swinney signed an 8-year $54 million contract with Clemson. That broke down to around $6.75 million per year and will keep him with the team until 2024. The contract also comes with a $6 million buyout clause if either party ever wants to go in a new direction.
Early Life
Dabo Swinney was born as William Swinney on November 20, 1969 in Birmingham, Alabama. He got the nickname Dabo from his brother Tripp, who tried to say "that boy" when talking about him. Swinney was raised in Pelham, Alabama. When he was 16, he converted to Christianity.
Collegiate Career
For his higher education, Swinney went to the University of Alabama, where he played as a walk-on wide receiver in the Crimson Tide football program in 1989. Following this, he lettered on three teams from 1990 to 1992, with the latter year being the Crimson Tide's National Championship team. In his three seasons at Alabama, Swinney caught seven passes for 81 yards, and was twice named an Academic All-SEC and SEC Scholar Athlete Honor Roll member. He graduated in 1993 with a bachelor's degree in business administration and commerce, and obtained his master's degree in business administration in 1995.
Career Beginnings
While he was working toward his MBA at Alabama, Swinney was a graduate assistant under coach Gene Stallings. After he completed his degree, he became a full-time assistant coach in charge of tight ends and wide receivers. In early 2001, Swinney and the rest of the staff were fired by new head coach Mike DuBose.
From 2001 through early 2003, Swinney stepped away from coaching. Instead, he worked on development projects for AIG Baker Real Estate, which had as its president Rich Wingo, Swinney's former strength coach at Alabama.
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Clemson Coaching, Part 1
Swinney joined Clemson University as wide receivers coach in 2003; he also took over as recruiting coordinator. After five successful years in these positions, he was appointed the interim head football coach in 2008. Swinney had his first victory in this new position in November of 2008, when Clemson beat Boston College. The next month, he was officially named Clemson's head coach. In 2009, his first full season as head coach, Swinney led Clemson to many accomplishments. Among them, the team finished the season with a record of 9-5 to win the Atlantic Division title of the ACC. The following season, Swinney led Clemson to a 6-6 regular season. He improved this drastically in 2011 with a 10-3 record, including the Tigers' first ACC Championship in 20 years. Further, the team made it to the Orange Bowl. In recognition of his season, Swinney won the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award.
Swinney had another terrific season in 2012, leading Clemson to its first 11-win season in over 30 years. He led the team to its third consecutive 10-win season the very next year. The Tigers went on to the Orange Bowl, where they defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes to win their first BCS bowl. Clemson finished the season ranked in the top ten in both AP and Coaches. In 2014, Swinney once again led the team to a 10-win season, the fourth in as many years. However, a new career peak came the next season, when he led the Tigers to a history-making 14-1 record and another ACC Championship.
Clemson Coaching, Part 2
Swinney had yet another top-notch year with Clemson in 2016, leading the team to a 12-1 regular season record and another ACC Championship. Moreover, Clemson mounted a huge comeback in the National Championship to take out Alabama 35-31. The 2017 season saw further success with another 12-1 regular season record and a third consecutive ACC Championship. It was during this season that Swinney recorded his 97th career win, making him the second winningest coach in school history.
In 2018, the Tigers finished the season undefeated, becoming the first team in modern history to go 15-0. They subsequently went on to win the 2019 National Championship against Alabama. The 2019 season was close to a virtual repeat, with the Tigers posting a 14-1 record. Moreover, the team's streak of six consecutive wins by at least 35 points became the longest in modern history. Swinney also notched his fifth consecutive ACC Championship in a routing of Virginia. The streak ended in the National Championship when Clemson lost 42-25 to LSU. In the next season, which was shortened due to the COVID pandemic, Clemson won a sixth consecutive ACC Championship and made it to the Sugar Bowl.
Personal Life
In 1994, Swinney married Kathleen Bassett. The couple has three sons, two of whom are wide receivers at Clemson: Will and Drew.
