‘It May Be Time’ — Colin Cowherd Reveals Dabo Swinney’s ‘Fireable Offense’ As HC Faces Uncertain Future at Clemson
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Clemson’s collapse against LSU has turned questions about the program’s direction into a much larger conversation about its leadership. The Tigers entered the season with expectations tied to their established identity, but the result in Week 1 exposed concerns about how that identity fits college football today.
As criticism grows, national voices are now questioning whether Dabo Swinney’s long-standing approach can still produce a championship contender.
Colin Cowherd Calls Dabo Swinney’s Portal and NIL Stance a ‘Fireable Offense’
Swinney’s future at Clemson became a major talking point after the Tigers were routed 51-10 by LSU, and Colin Cowherd believes the problem extends well beyond one bad night.
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On “The Colin Cowherd Podcast,” Cowherd pointed directly at Swinney’s reluctance to fully embrace the transfer portal and NIL.
“To not embrace the portal and NIL, and I like Dabo, is a fireable offense,” Cowherd said. “…. It may be time for Dabo to go. He has dug his feet in, rigid, stubborn. Like, that was humiliating, was it not?”
The criticism shows a larger concern about Clemson’s roster-building philosophy. While other programs have used the transfer portal to address weaknesses and add experienced players, Swinney has continued to place significant faith in high school recruiting.
Critics argue that the approach has become increasingly difficult to sustain as roster construction changes across college football.
John Middlekauff offered another explanation for Clemson’s recent decline, pointing to the coaching infrastructure that surrounded Swinney during the program’s most successful period.
“I mean, the game was over when he picked it off and made it 17-3,” Middlekauff said. “You could just feel, you’re like, they don’t have a chance. And then within the blink of an eye, it’s whatever, 31-3 at halftime. It didn’t even feel that close.”
He then connected Clemson’s struggles to the departures of Tony Elliott and Brent Venables, two coordinators who spent years working alongside Swinney.
“The Dabo side, I mean, you kind of look back, he had two elite coordinators that never left. And Tony Elliott, who’s now got Virginia good, and Brent Venables, who is right in the discussion as the best defensive coach in the country. Those guys were there with him forever, especially Venables,” Middlekauff said. “You watch him without him, they are a train wreck.”
The financial side makes an immediate coaching change complicated. Swinney is under contract through 2031 and earns more than $11 million annually.
Clemson would owe him a $57 million buyout if it fired him without cause during 2026, with the figure increasing to $60 million on Jan. 1, 2027.
This history also matters.
Swinney has won two national championships and nine ACC titles, giving Clemson a substantial reason to weigh his past success against the program’s current direction.
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With major games against Miami and Florida State still ahead, the administration could face a difficult decision if the Tigers fail to respond.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.
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