Bill Belichick on Clemson Tigers Head Coach: 'Everyone is Learning from Dabo'

To be recognized highly by a six-time Super Bowl champion and UNC head coach Bill Belichick is quite the honor, and Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney received that recognition at ACC Kickoff. 

Both teams spoke to the media on the event’s final day on Thursday, and while a media circus followed the Hall of Fame head coach around, Belichick spoke about Swinney’s position in the ACC and being a top coach in the FBS. 

Belichick said that “everyone is learning from Dabo”, in reference to the rest of the coaches in the conference. 

“Dabo has been a friend for a long time,” he said on Thursday. “We've scouted his players from the NFL down. Some of the players that are here today, I actually thought, maybe we'll be drafting one of these guys, and now here we are going to be playing against them.”

The two met before from former Tiger Christian Wilkins, who was shockingly released by the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday. Wilkins played for Suffield Academy in Connecticut. When Swinney was recruiting the defensive tackle, he paid Belichick a visit in New England. 

But not only is the quality of players that Belichick respects, but also how Swinney presents the student-athletes to represent the school in a meaningful manner. 

“I think that says a lot for the program that he runs and what he's done for not only college football but all the student-athletes that he's coached there,” Belichick said. “They've gone on to represent him and the school very well.”

The two met for an hour-long special in May with ESPN’s Rece Davis, speaking about their experiences and the transition for Belichick from the NFL to college football. Swinney was “excited” when he heard the news that the legendary head coach was headed to the ACC. 

“I think it’s great for our league, certainly surprising like everyone else because he’s arguably the best to ever do it, and to do it at the highest level in the NFL, he’s so close to the all-time winningest record there, so I was probably surprised like everyone,” Swinney said. “I thought it was pretty cool.”

The Tigers face the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill, N.C., on Oct. 4, and with time nearing a matchup between two high-level coaches, Belichick is just as excited for the matchup as Swinney is. 

“Great opportunity to spend some time with him at the ACC coaches' meetings, and he's always been a really enjoyable guy to be around,” Belichick said. “I don't know if that'll be true on Saturday afternoon. Probably not. But at least in these meetings it is.”