Dabo Swinney and Bill Belichick might be an unlikely pair to share the same stage, but they did just that on the College Game Day podcast in a sit-down interview with Reece Davis that aired on Wednesday May 28th on ACC Network.
Swinney, Clemson’s long-time national champion coach, and Belichick, winner of eight Super Bowls with the New England Patriots and now head coach at North Carolina, sat down to talk about football and a variety of topics in a captivating interview between two men who come from much different gridiron backgrounds.
Among the topics discussed by the two famed coaches were the differences between the college and NFL games, the landscape of the ACC, and Belichick’s favorite Clemson Tiger defender. There was serious discussion but also laughs between Dabo Swinney and Bill Belichick. It would seem the two have formed a cordial relationship. Swinney was the first to welcome Belichick into a seat on the infamous ‘ROY’ bus, a phrase coined by Clemson’s coach years ago.
“We’ve been on the ROY Bus for 16 years. We’re still on it,” Swinney quipped to Belichick. “The ACC, we’re the ROY Bus. So welcome to the ACC. SEC, Big Ten and the Rest of Y’all. Here we are.”
Dabo Swinney
That, of course, stands for the rest of ya’ll.
But Dabo Swinney and Bill Belichick are each far from afterthoughts. They represent two of the most influential individuals in the sport. And Clemson football has been on Belichick’s radar for a long time. In fact, his favorite Tiger is former Clemson defensive lineman Christian Wilkins who played for Suffield Academy in Connecticut, in the Patriots’ back yard. Belichick joked that he is glad Wilkins played in the NFC because the current New York Giant is a problem on the field.
“He could rush, he could run, he was very good at the point of attack,” praised Belichick. “Just a man’s man. Thankfully he was in the NFC. He was unblockable.”
Bill Belichick
Of course, Swinney jabbed back that another former Tiger defensive lineman may take light-hearted umbrage to Belichick’s crooning over Wilkins.
“I don’t know if he’ll see this or not, but (Christian will) appreciate that. Dexter Lawrence might see it too and have something to argue about,” laughed Swinney.
Dabo Swinney
Dabo Swinney is never one to miss nuances, either. Swinney noted that the 2025 Clemson Tigers will be embarking on a “Patriots Tour”. Clemson will take on North Carolina in Chapel Hill on October 4th followed one week later by a game at Boston College against an Eagles program coached by former Patriots assistant Bill O’Brien. An interesting happenstance.
I feel like I’m playing the whole Patriots organization,” opined Swinney.
Jokes aside, there was a serious side to the conversation. Belichick’s arrival in Chapel Hill has not been without scrutiny and a pervading thought of whether the NFL Hall of Famer can adjust to the college game. It is something Bill Belichick is keenly aware of, and Swinney seems ready to help him with the transiton.
Roster management, NIL, roster construction, and (much) larger rosters are all new concepts for the former Patriots’ patriarch.
“You gotta acquire talent, but I do think that you figure out, just like the NFL, you pay premium players at premium positions, right?” Swinney asked rhetorically. “And if you pay the wrong guys, you’re in trouble. Right now, there is no market, there’s no transparency. I think it may take a year or so, but I do think (a market) will emerge.”
Dabo Swinney
It is a serious topic and one which has drawn the ire of Dabo Swinney in recent years. But Belichick was still about to drop in a half-serious thought on the matter.
“You got two 9s, two 7s, two 4s, two 1s,” said Belichick. “I’ve had trouble getting 11 guys on the field, and now I have to get them on the field with the right numbers.”
Bill Belichick
At the end of the day, the respect between Dabo Swinney and Bill Belichick is apparent. So much so that Swinney admits he implements some of Belichick’s own philosophies into his own program. An admission that Belichick joked he hopes Swinney “doesn’t use against us.”
Both coaches, at different stages of their careers, still have one major thing in common, however: the hunger to keep winning. Something both men have done a lot of.
“A lot of what you said at the beginning of the interview, Dabo, about having the right people and having the right culture,” added Belichick. “Because you need people that want to keep achieving that (winning) goal. It’s like (Tom) Brady and (Tedy) Bruschi used to say, ‘Which ring do you like the best?”
Bill Belichick
And the last line of that quote? One that Dabo Swinney and Bill Belichick both roundly agree on.
“The next one.”
Watch the podcast and entire interview here: Bill Belichick and Dabo Swinney go head-to-head with Rece Davis | College GameDay Podcast
