Jan 10, 2016 09:47 PM EST By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

Whether his Clemson Tigers can beat the Alabama Crimson Tide for the national title, Dabo Swinney will come away a winner.

Clemson University athletic director Dan Radakovich stated the school would seek to extend its head football coach's contract and raise his salary,ESPN reported.

"We've been in lockstep on it that we weren't going to talk about any of that until after the season was over," he said. "He and his staff have done a tremendous job, and that's certainly something that will be looked at once the season is over."

Addressing the media at the 2nd College Football Playoff National Championship, Radakovich said he has already discussed the matter with Swinney's agent, Mike Brown. Though he did not discuss specific figures, it seems logical that Swinney's average annual salary will rise from $3.25 million to at least $5 million in order to make him one of the 10 highest paid coaches in the FBS.

An Alabama grad and a former Crimson Tide wide receiver, Swinney joined Clemson's football coaching staff as an assistant head coach in 2003. Five years later he became the interim head coach when Tommy Bowden resigned, an appointment that later became permanent.

Since the 2011 season Clemson has gone 56-11, ESPN reported, including this year's mark of 14-0, which will likely make it easy for Clemson's leadership to approve a new deal for Swinney. But for the coach, the far more pressing matter is winning a 15th game.

"That would be we're the best ever," Swinney told reporters during a recent media session, according to SportsDay. "That's what it would mean. Who's going to argue with that?"

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