North Carolina Tar Heels coach Bill Belichick has delivered some thoughts on Clemson Tigers coach Dabo Swinney before the two teams meet this Saturday.
The Clemson Tigers are preparing to face the North Carolina Tar Heels in their first ACC matchup of the season this Saturday, and while this initially looked like a win for Clemson heading into the year, things have changed a bit.
While North Carolina posted an impressive win over TCU in its season opener, Clemson was busy getting throttled by LSU, 51-10. The Tigers then followed that up with an ugly 22-7 victory over Georgia Southern this past Saturday.
It's very early, but as of right now, the Tar Heels appear to be the better football team, so Clemson will have to bring it when it hosts Bill Belichick and Co. this weekend.
Speaking of Belichick, the UNC head coach shared some of his thoughts about Dabo Swinney, the embattled Tigers coach who is battling hot seat rumors.
Clearly, Belichick thinks highly of the two-time national champion.
"Coach Swinney's done a great job. As I said, I've known him a long time," Belichick said. "I think he's one of the guys that really cares about the game, cares about his players, and, you know, cares about doing the right thing.
"I mean, obviously winning is at the top of the list, but doing it the right way and making sure that his players get a good education, that they're ready to go into the next step, whether it's in the NFL or in life. And, you know, all the kids that have come out of there, I've been really impressed with. So I think that speaks a lot for the way he runs the program."
Belichick's comments are pretty spot on.
Swinney has been heavily criticized for his refusal to adapt, and while many feel that is rooted in stubbornness, you can argue that it's largely due to Swinney's ethics.
The 56-year-old is obviously not a fan of what college football has become, as it is no longer about forming relationships with players and developing them; it's about who can offer the most money and who is going to transfer where.
Swinney made it to four National Championship Games and won two titles between 2015 and 2019. He didn't just suddenly forget how to coach since then. The landscape has simply changed — drastically — under his feet.
Should Swinney have done a better job adjusting to the new era? Sure, but you also can't blame the man for sticking to his guns.
We'll see if Clemson can score a big win over North Carolina this Saturday.
