Clemson coach Dabo Swinney is set to face the media on July 14 at 12:30 p.m. ET, with the Tigers deep into their buildup for the 2026 season.
The backdrop is a busy one. Clemson is coming off a 7-6 finish in 2025, a year that ranked as the second-worst of Swinney’s full 17 seasons. The Tigers missed both the ACC championship game and the College Football Playoff, but Swinney kept his job and got public backing from athletic director Graham Neff after the regular season.
He also made a major staff move, parting ways with offensive coordinator Garrett Riley after three seasons. Swinney brought back Chad Morris, who previously served as Clemson’s offensive coordinator from 2011-14, to run the offense again. On top of that, Clemson added 12 transfers, setting a single-season program record as it tried to reshape the roster.
The Tigers open 2026 against LSU on Sept. 5 at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC in Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. That game will also mark Lane Kiffin’s debut as LSU coach.
Clemson’s full 2026 schedule includes Georgia Southern on Sept. 12, North Carolina on Sept. 19, a late-night trip to Cal on Sept.
25, Miami on Oct. 3, an open date on Oct. 10, Charleston Southern on Oct.
17, Virginia Tech on Oct. 24, Florida State on Oct.
31, Syracuse on Nov. 7, Georgia Tech on Nov.
14, Duke on Nov. 20 and South Carolina on Nov. 28.
The transfer additions listed for Clemson are WR Parker Fulghum, OL Rowan Byrne, S Ricardo Jones, DT Stephiylan Green, DE Markus Dixon, TE Josh Sapp, CB Michael Manaka, S Rob Billings, LB Jamal Anderson, S Khalil Barnes, RB Keith Adams Jr., LB Dee Crayton, CB Shelton Lewis and ATH Marquise Henderson. LB Luke Ferrelli was also listed as a Clemson addition before reentering the portal to transfer to Ole Miss.
Swinney’s contract remains one of the biggest in the sport. He signed a 10-year, $115 million deal in September 2022, and it runs through 2031.
In the 2025 season, he made $11.5 million, the highest in the ACC and tied for the fourth-highest in college football. Only Georgia’s Kirby Smart ($13.3 million), Ohio State’s Ryan Day ($12.6 million) and Southern Cal’s Lincoln Riley ($11.5 million) made more.
If Clemson were to fire Swinney without cause in 2026, the school would owe him $57 million. That figure is down from $60 million last season, and it stays at $57 million for the rest of his current deal.
Swinney’s 2026 staff is loaded with familiar names and a few notable additions. Chad Morris is the offensive coordinator, while Tom Allen leads the defense as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach.
Tajh Boyd is the quarterbacks coach, C.J. Spiller handles running backs and offensive run game duties, and Tyler Grisham coaches wide receivers and the offensive pass game.
Kyle Richardson works with tight ends and serves as co-offensive coordinator, while Matt Luke coaches the offensive line, is assistant head coach and also co-offensive coordinator.
On the defensive side, Chris Rumph coaches defensive ends and the defensive run game, Nick Eason works with defensive tackles as associate head coach and co-defensive coordinator, Ben Boulware coaches linebackers, Mike Reed handles cornerbacks and is assistant head coach and co-special teams coordinator, Corico Wright coaches nickelbacks, Nolan Turner coaches safeties, and Thomas Allen is the defensive pass game coordinator. Rich Bisaccia is the special teams coordinator, and Dennis Love remains strength and conditioning coach.
The rest of the staff includes Lorenzo Ward as special assistant to the head coach and defensive assistant, Lonnie Galloway as senior offensive assistant, DeAndre McDaniel as senior defensive assistant and assistant defensive backs coach and assistant special teams coach, Da’Quan Bowers as assistant defensive ends coach and defensive analyst, Carson Cramer as assistant offensive line coach and offensive analyst, Jody Evans as special teams analyst, Mike Miller as offensive analyst, Cole Stoudt as offense analyst, Carter Thomason as defensive analyst and assistant linebackers coach, Elijah Turner as defensive analyst and assistant cornerbacks coach, Ryan Allen as special teams player development and specialist coach, Corey Crawford as assistant defensive line coach and defensive player development, Tyrone Crowder as assistant offensive line coach and offensive player development, Jacoby Ford as offensive player development and assistant wide receivers coach, Brad Glenn as offensive player development and assistant tight ends coach, Artavis Scott as offensive player development and assistant running backs coach, Will Swinney as assistant wide receivers coach and offensive player development, Mike Houston as volunteer defensive analyst, Freddie Kitchens as volunteer offensive assistant, Hunter Helms as offensive player development intern and Jayron Kearse as student coach.
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Dabo Swinneys Clemson Reset Left Out One Move Fans Wanted
Clemsons offseason reset has already brought a different feel after a frustrating 2025 finish, when a preseason No. 4 team stumbled to 7-6 and fell well short of expectations. Dabo Swinney has leaned into the urgency of the moment, acknowledging the programs underperformance while making clear changes around the roster and staff as the Tigers try to get back on track.
The moves have been substantial, from Chad Morris taking over as offensive coordinator to a wave of defensive additions that should reshape the depth chart quickly. Still, for all the turnover Clemson has embraced, there is one obvious area fans expected to see more movement, and the decision to leave it alone says plenty about how Swinney wants this reset to work. [Read more 🡒]
Dabo Swinney Just Took A Stunning Hit To His National Standing
USA TODAYs latest head coach rankings delivered a sharp reminder of how quickly the conversation around Dabo Swinney can change. After being slotted No. 3 a year ago, Swinney came in at No. 10 this time, a drop tied to Clemsons 7-6 finish and the broader uncertainty that has followed a roster in transition. The Tigers were also placed No. 24 nationally, which keeps them in the mix but far from the standard Clemson spent years setting.
There is still plenty of attention on how this next phase will look, especially with redshirt sophomore Christopher Vizzina and new offensive coordinator Chad Morris drawing a lot of the focus. For a program that has spent so long measuring itself against championship expectations, even a mid-pack ranking for its coach carries real weight, and it says as much about the questions ahead as it does about the results that produced it. [Read more 🡒]
Clemson Just Made A Real Move For A Coveted 2028 Defensive Back
Giovanni Tuggles recruitment has reached a meaningful checkpoint, and Clemson is right in the middle of it. The consensus four-star safety in the 2028 class has trimmed his list to five schools, with the Tigers joining Alabama, Tennessee, Ole Miss and Florida State as the programs still in the running. For Clemson, it is another sign that the staffs work on the trail is resonating with one of the more sought-after defensive backs in the cycle.
Tuggles Clemson push came after he attended the programs camp, where he picked up the offer that helped move the Tigers into his top group. He has already drawn interest from a long list of major programs, so this is not a simple early win, but it does give Clemson a real seat at the table as his process continues to unfold. The next step will be whether the Tigers can turn that camp connection into something more lasting. [Read more 🡒]