North Carolina and Clemson have struggled to start the 2025 season, with the Tar Heels sitting at 2-2 and the Tigers at 1-3. The interesting part about the two programs’ slow starts is that both are led by two of the best football coaches in recent memory: Bill Belichick and Dabo Swinney.
They’ll face off in a Week 6 battle, and before the matchup, Belichick opened up about his relationship with Swinney after the Clemson head coach labeled him the “greatest ever.”
Bill Belichick Speaks on Relationship with Dabo Swinney After Clemson Head Coach’s Praise
Since taking over as Clemson’s head coach midway through the 2008 season, Swinney has built one of the most impressive résumés in college football.
In his 17.5 seasons, he holds a record of 181-50, has led the Tigers to 13 double-digit winning seasons, won 12 bowl games, and claimed two national titles.
Despite his own success, ahead of Clemson’s matchup against North Carolina, Swinney praised Belichick, who is in his first year as the Tar Heels’ head coach. Swinney said he’s excited to face off against the legendary NFL coach and called Belichick “the greatest” professional coach ever.
“Yeah, I mean, are you kidding me? That’s amazing,” Swinney said. “I never in my lifetime thought I would get an opportunity to coach against Coach Belichick. How cool is that? You don’t get lucky and have, how many rings has he got, seven or eight? This guy’s got eight rings. He’s arguably the greatest ever, certainly at the pro level. ”
Swinney clearly admires Belichick, who, as he points out, has an impressive résumé of his own, and the Tar Heels’ head coach seems to feel the same about Swinney.
In his game-week press conference, Belichick explained that he first met Swinney while researching Clemson prospects for the NFL Draft when he was with the New England Patriots, but got to know him better at the ACC meetings this offseason. He added that the Clemson head coach has been helpful during his early stages as a college football coach.
“We talked about some things outside of meetings and off camera and things like that, but he’s been very, let’s say, helpful in a couple of things that I’ve asked about in general,” Belichick said. “And I appreciate his openness and willingness to try and give me some advice that I’ve asked for.”
While it’s always great to see two coaches show respect for each other before they face off, the Clemson–North Carolina game is a must-win for both programs.
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Clemson is 1-3 and desperately needs a victory. The Tigers’ offense hasn’t met expectations, ranking 43rd in the country according to PFSN’s college OFFi metric. Their defense has been slightly better, sitting 31st by PFSN’s college DEFi metric.
North Carolina entered the season with a lot of buzz, but that hype has quickly faded. The Tar Heels have been blown out in both of their games against Power Four schools and currently sit at 2-2.
Belichick’s offense ranks 109th in the country according to PFSN’s college OFFi metric, while the defense isn’t much better, coming in at 89th according to PFSN’s college DEFi metric.
It’s a crucial game for both Belichick and Swinney, and one that could finally give either the Tar Heels or the Tigers some momentum this season. The matchup kicks off at 12:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 4, with coverage on ESPN.