CBS Sports Lists Clemson's Dabo Swinney Among Most Pressured Coaches Entering 2026

After leading the Clemson Tigers to their worst record in over a decade this past season, there have been tons of whispers about head coach Dabo Swinney's future and whether he can handle the modern era of NIL and the transfer portal.

On Friday, CBS Sports' Brad Crawford included Swinney on his list of the 10 college football coaches under the most pressure in 2026. The mention comes just four months after Swinney appeared on CBS Sports' hot seat list following a controversial 46-45 loss to Duke.

Swinney slotted at the No. 7 spot and is one of three ACC head coaches on the list, with Florida State's Mike Norvell sitting atop the list and North Carolina's Bill Belichick at the No. 9 spot. It's also worth mentioning that rival South Carolina Gamecocks coach Shane Beamer landed at No. 3 on the list.

Of the 10 coaches named, Swinney has the highest estimated buyout of $57 million, with the only other head man in the $50 million range being Alabama's Kalen DeBoer.

Crawford opened his comments on Swinney by referencing the dismissal of offensive coordinator Garrett Riley — now Missouri's quarterbacks coach — and the return of former offensive coordinator Chad Morris, moves aimed at reigniting Clemson's offensive firepower, especially with the dynamic wide receiver duo of T.J. Moore and Bryant Wesco Jr. set to return.

"Swinney dismissed offensive coordinator Garrett Riley and replaced him with former protégé Chad Morris in an effort to revive a stagnant offense," he wrote. "Swinney has remained committed to his long-standing approach, but in the NIL and transfer portal era, that model has produced uneven results."

While the NIL and transfer portal era hasn't always aligned with Swinney's philosophy, he has shown a willingness to adapt — bringing in 13 transfers over the past two seasons (10 ahead of 2026) and succeeding by reaching the College Football Playoff in 2024.

The program also entered 2025 with one of the highest retention rates in the country, losing just six players to the portal.

But stability and incremental adaptation haven't translated into postseason success, raising questions about whether the issues lie in coaching/development, behind-the-scenes management, play-calling or something we simply aren't aware of.

"Clemson has not won a College Football Playoff game since the 2019 season," Crawford continued. "One year after Trevor Lawrence led the program to a national championship -- a drought that has intensified scrutiny entering 2026."

Nevertheless, the potential firing of Swinney would cause massive waves across the country, since he essentially made Clemson into the program it is today. Not to mention that he's Clemson's all-time winningest coach, the winningest coach in ACC history and one of just two active head coaches with multiple national championships — the other one being Georgia’s Kirby Smart.

It would also be a substantial financial blow to the Athletics department, given his estimated buyout of nearly $60 million. If it were to be the $57 million estimate, it would be the second-largest buyout in College Football history, behind just Texas A&M's Jimbo Fisher.

"Still, it would be a bold -- and costly -- move for Clemson to part ways with the man who led the program to two national titles," Crawford finished.