$87 Million Head Coach Predicted to Replace Dabo Swinney at College Football Powerhouse

Alabama reached the College Football Playoff in 2025, yet left Pasadena with a 35-point loss and a wave of uncomfortable questions.

In Kalen DeBoer’s second season after replacing Nick Saban, the Crimson Tide finished 11–4, defeating Oklahoma 34–24 in the CFP’s opening round before being overwhelmed 38–3 by No. 1 Indiana in the Rose Bowl quarterfinal.

The final margin and the manner of the defeat quickly shifted public perception of what had otherwise been DeBoer’s first double-digit win season in Tuscaloosa, particularly for a program measured in national titles, not appearances.

Through two seasons at Alabama, DeBoer holds a 20–8 overall record (9–4 in 2024, 11–4 in 2025). He signed an eight-year contract worth approximately $87 million in January 2024, underscoring the program’s long-term commitment to his leadership.

Before arriving in Tuscaloosa, DeBoer guided Washington to the national championship game following the 2023 season, capping one of the most efficient turnarounds in recent college football history. Known for quarterback development and structured offensive systems, he established himself as one of the sport’s premier offensive architects.

Yet even with that résumé, speculation has already surfaced.

In a bold preseason prediction, The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel outlined a hypothetical chain reaction: DeBoer being fired eight games into the 2026 season, setting off a high-profile SEC shuffle and eventually landing at Clemson if Dabo Swinney were to step away amid frustration over transfer portal tampering.

Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen Deboer. — Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen Deboer watches in the second half against the Indiana Hoosiers at the 2026 Rose Bowl | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Swinney, one of the defining coaches of the CFP era, endured a 7–6 season in 2025 (4–4 ACC), the Tigers’ worst finish since his first full season in 2008, capped by a 22–10 Pinstripe Bowl loss to Penn State. By Clemson’s recent standards, the record represented a significant downturn.

Complicating matters, Swinney made headlines in January 2026 when he publicly accused Ole Miss of “blatant tampering” involving a transfer-related recruitment. Clemson forwarded evidence to the NCAA and ACC, placing portal enforcement and institutional frustration squarely in the national spotlight.

Swinney’s long-term status, however, remains structurally secure. He signed a 10-year, $115 million contract extension in 2021 that runs through 2031, and his reported buyout, approximately $60 million entering 2026, remains among the highest in college football.

His career résumé is equally formidable. Swinney has compiled a 187–53 overall record at Clemson, captured two national championships (2016 and 2018 seasons), won nine ACC titles, and earned multiple national coach-of-the-year honors, transforming Clemson from a regional power into a national brand.

Whether he would actually leave, or whether Clemson would move on, appears highly improbable without a dramatic institutional shift. Still, Mandel’s prediction underscores a broader truth: even the sport’s most established coaching tenures are no longer immune to speculation.

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