Show Me the Money: Clemson Assistants Rank Among Highest Paid

Clemson's assistants are highly paid and continue to appear on coaching search short lists as another offseason looms large

Sometimes you get what you pay for and it's hard to argue that statement when it comes to Clemson football.

Dabo Swinney and his top assistants are all among the highest paid in college football. It's a steep investment but one that continues to pay off for Clemson.  With the Tigers' recent success, it should come as no surprise that both offensive coordinator Tony Elliott and defensive coordinator Brent Venables are among the highest-paid assistants in the country per a report from USA Today.

Clemson's Brent Venables appears on the list fourth with a salary of $2.4 million. That figure is not far from the highest assistant salary in college football in Alabama offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian who topped the list at $2.5 million. Tony Elliott makes the list at 11th overall with $1.6 million. Both Clemson assistants have roughly a $7.4 million buyout if there were to choose to test the waters as a head coach this offseason. 

Perhaps one of the most impressive parts of Dabo Swinney's current run at Clemson is the overall staff continuity and retention of coaches from year to year. Each December it feels like the Tigers have assistants who are linked to job openings but more times than not, Clemson has kept the staff mostly intact.

Both Elliott and Venables have had the opportunity to leave and will again be in a position to interview for positions this offseason. It remains to be seen what will happen over the next few weeks but one thing has become crystal clear. Clemson's coordinators are in no rush to become head coaches and are embracing the time they have left on Swinney's Clemson staff in what has become an incredible run.