Dabo Swinney has been the head coach of the Clemson Tigers since 2009. Could 2025 mark the end of his historic run in Death Valley? With the Tigers sitting at 3-5 and heading toward their worst season since 2010, the idea should not be written off.
Who Could Clemson Hire if They Parted Ways With Dabo Swinney?
Parting ways with Swinney is not a cheap move, as his buyout is a whopping $60 million. Yet, we’ve already seen the LSU Tigers (Brian Kelly) and Penn State Nittany Lions (James Franklin) pay handsomely to oust their incumbent head coaches in favor of the potential of a fresh offseason hire.
Fans were already worried about Swinney’s style struggling to mesh with the new era of NIL and the transfer portal, and their concerns have proven to be correct in 2025. With the Tigers losing five games for the first time since 2010, the writing is on the wall for the 18-year tenured coach.
There may be greener pastures for both parties, as while the results have been stale, Swinney is still a national title-winning head coach with a proven track record. While his time may have run out at Clemson, he could thrive elsewhere, while the Tigers also find renewed success under new leadership.
With that said, which names could pop up in the program’s search, and who makes the most sense at this stage in the rebuilding process?
Brent Venables, HC, Oklahoma
Brent Venables, Clemson’s former star defensive coordinator, could come back to Death Valley and replace Swinney. His defensive background would rejuvenate a highly talented unit and bring back visions of Clemson’s “Power Rangers” on that side of the ball. Still, prying him away from Oklahoma may not be easy, and that’s if he even wants to leave the rigors of the SEC for a return to the ACC.
Jeff Brohm, HC, Louisville
Jeff Brohm has taken Louisville to impressive heights during his tenure, going 10-4, 9-4, and currently 6-1. He deserves the leap to an even bigger school with even more resources. We know he can recruit, but more importantly, we know he can maximize the transfer portal and get the most out of his players in a short amount of time, something Clemson desperately needs.
Will Stein, OC, Oregon
One of the hottest names in the last hiring cycle, Will Stein, should once again be atop many head coaching vacancies in 2026. Oregon OC has a clear knack for generating points, something the Tigers have struggled to do consistently despite the sheer amount of talent on the roster. Of course, Stein is unproven as a head coach and would be a vastly different direction than Swinney, but maybe that’s exactly what the doctor ordered.
Tom Allen, DC, Clemson
What if Clemson’s leadership wants to keep things in-house? While Garrett Riley has flashed at offensive coordinator, the “safer” option would be defensive coordinator Tom Allen. The 55-year-old joined the Tigers this offseason, ditching Penn State in favor of a fresh opportunity.
That opportunity could turn into his first head coaching nod since his 2017-23 stint at Indiana, and that experience may be exactly what gives him the leg up on competition for the position.
Group of Five Head Coaches
Last, but not least, the Group of Five options. There are a plethora of quality candidates outside of the Power Five, but two stand out above the rest for Clemson: Tulane HC Jon Sumrall and Memphis HC Ryan Silverfield.
While cut from different cloths (Sumrall is the physical, disciplined, defense-first culture builder, while Silverfield is the offensive innovator with a family-oriented background), both offer a fresh new face of the program.
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Sumrall went 23-4 in two years at Troy and has continued his winning ways at Tulane (15-7). Meanwhile, Silverfield has gone 50-21 in six years at Memphis, never suffering a losing season and coming off 10-3 and 11-2 campaigns while having the Tigers at 8-1 this year.
Either way, Clemson would get a talented leader of men who knows a thing or two about winning games. They would just need to prove it at the ACC level.