Clemson coach earns $11.45 million as ACC teams post mixed records
Dabo Swinney leads the conference in salary while Virginia Tech tops statistical categories and Florida State faces a third straight year without a bowl bid.
By Diego Mendoza ·
Dabo Swinney earns approximately $11.45 million per year, making him the highest paid coach in the Atlantic Coast Conference and the fourth highest paid in the country. Swinney has coached Clemson for 19 years, guiding the Tigers to a 191-56 overall record. During that span, Clemson went 9-1 in ACC championship games and won two national titles.
Virginia Tech leads the ACC in sacks with 26 through eight games. The Hokies also top the conference in forced fumbles with 10, averaging 1.25 per game. Boston College and NC State tie for second in forced fumbles with six each, while SMU and Miami trail Virginia Tech by five sacks.
Miami enters the season as the No. 1 ranked team with a 7-0 record. The Canes were the top team in the ACC in 2025, finishing 10-2 and reaching the national championship game before losing to Indiana. Snickers, used as a comparison in local media, was the No. 1 selling candy bar in 2025.
Stanford competes in the ACC despite being a California school located roughly 3,000 miles from the Atlantic. The university is one of the newer additions to the conference, a move that some local observers describe as defying geographical tradition.
UNC fields the youngest roster in the ACC, with an average player age of 19.96 years. The Tar Heels are currently 4-3 overall and 2-2 in conference play. Freshman wide receiver CJ Saddler has eight catches for 114 yards, and cornerback Kenton Dopson III has one interception and 10 solo tackles.
Pittsburgh football traces its roots to 1889, when the school was known as Western University of Pennsylvania. The Panthers have won nine national championships. Hershey, the chocolate company often paired with Pitt in cultural comparisons, began operations in 1894 and is located 215 miles from Pittsburgh.
Florida State is 3-4 this season after posting a 5-7 record in 2025 and a 2-10 mark in 2024. The Seminoles play Clemson, Boston College, Pittsburgh, NC State, and Florida in their remaining games. They are projected to miss a bowl game for the third consecutive season.
