Dabo Swinney (1969-), Clemson Football Coach since 2008

[DonRocks]

Dabo Swinney, born 1969 in Birmingham, AL.

"Watch: Sweeney Hilariously Photobombs Reporter" by Tony Crumpton on tigernet.com

"Watch: Reporter Gets Annoyed after Take Gets Ruined, then She Realizes It's Dabo Swinney" by Adam Spencer on saturdaydownsouth.com

[DonRocks]

"Clemson, Coach Dabo Swinney, Agree to Massive, 10-Year, $93-Million Contract Extension" by Barrett Sallee on cbssports.com

Swinney is now the highest-paid coach in college sports, and one of the highest-paid coaches in the world. He has set the market rate, based on his past performance, and I suppose if anyone "deserves" this salary, he does. A couple of things, however:

* This homey-aw-shucks-Christianity is well-and-good, but it's only going to take him so far. Clemson is going to have a target on its back going forward, and the Ostamine scandal with Dexter Lawrence and company worries me - Swinney had better watch himself, because even though he hasn't actively done anything to create enemies, he's going to have them anyway, and these enemies are going to be the strong, silent type.

* Swinney has been extremely successful in controlling the media, but that strategy is about to become a lot harder and more exhausting. Until now, whenever a question offends him, he berates the questioner - at this level of exposure, and at this level of compensation, he may no longer be able to have that luxury.

This could be an interesting next-ten years, especially since football is developing a vocal minority against its very existence. The Yahoos are still in control (the people attending the NFL draft were arguably more than attended the Presidential inauguration), but they may not be in control forever.