The ACC rollercoaster has introduced an unexpected twist for Clemson coach Dabo Swinney in 2025.
He’ll be facing a North Carolina team that features legendary head coach Bill Belichick.
In a joint interview of Swinney and Belichick by ESPN’s Rece Davis, Swinney joked about the changes that have come for Clemson, thanks to Belichick invading the conference.
“[We play the New England Patriots this year](https://youtu.be/MZx3BU3-YX8?si=auieqpRmvezTX15A&t=2995),” Swinney said. “We go to North Carolina, and then we go to Boston College to play \[former Patriots offensive coordinator\] Bill O’Brien. So, I feel like I’m playing the whole Patriots organization in about a two-week span there.”
Swinney joked that he has a “secret sauce” to beat the Patriots — former Patriots punter Ryan Allen, who is Clemson’s specialists coach.
“We’re going to lean on him heavy to figure out how to defeat y’all’s punt block team or whatever else,” Swinney said.
It was all very lighthearted, with no tension or edge to it. Throughout the extended conversation, Swinney and Belichick seemed to get along very well.
Maybe Swinney realizes he still has far better players than North Carolina can muster. Or maybe Swinney realizes that, as Clemson struggles to compete for championships in the NIL era, he has far more to worry about than a mid-level program from a basketball school.