COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS

FBS Notes: Swinney agrees to $30 million extension

The Sports Xchange

April 12, 2016 at 5:30 pm.

Dec 5, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney (C) and his team prior to their ACC football championship game against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Bank of America Stadium. Photo Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports

Dec 5, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney (C) and his team prior to their ACC football championship game against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Bank of America Stadium. Photo Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports

Clemson approved a five-year, $30.75 million extension for head coach Dabo Swinney.

Swinney’s base salary is $245,000 in 2016 and remains the same for the duration of the contract, which expires in 2021. He can earn $3.505 million in supplemental income and $800,000 in licensing in 2016.

The total compensation package puts Swinney among the 10 highest-paid college football coaches. Swinney can earn more than $4 million in supplemental income from 2018-2021.

Hired in 2008, Swinney is 75-27 as head coach and led Clemson to the ACC championship and a runner-up finish in the 2016 national championship game. The Tigers lost to Alabama in the College Football Playoff in Arizona in January.

—Former Illinois head coach Tim Beckman, fired before the 2015 season amidst allegations of mistreatment by former players, reached a $250,000 settlement with the university.

“The University of Illinois and former Coach Tim Beckman announced that they have reached a negotiated resolution of potential legal claims relating to Coach Beckman’s termination in August 2015,” the university’s statement began. In resolving these matters, the university and Coach Beckman seek to avoid protracted and costly litigation that would by necessity require the involvement of a number of current and former student-athletes, as well as coaches, staff, trainers, and team physicians.

“This resolution allows the university to avoid the distraction of pending litigation and to focus instead on the well-being of student-athletes in the program. At the same time, Coach Beckman can resume his career without protracted litigation. The resolution involves a one-time payment of $250,000 to Beckman, who will release all claims he may have had against the university.”

Several former Illinois players accused Beckman of mistreatment during his tenure as head coach.

—Former Boise State starting quarterback Ryan Finley is transferring from the school, coach Bryan Harsin announced.

Finley started the first three games last season before suffering a broken ankle in a game against Idaho State. His injury opened the door for true freshman Brett Rypien to take over and Rypien passed for 3,353 yards, 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

Harsin said the quarterback job was open entering spring football drills but Finley apparently realized that wasn’t truly the case. Finley, who has two seasons of eligibility remaining, plans to graduate in May and then transfer to a school in which he will be able to play immediately.