Clemson Tigers Head Coach Dabo Swinney Looking Forward to Facing Bill Belichick

The Clemson Tigers will have a great new coaching within their conference next season.

Dec 14, 2024; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head football coach Bill Belichick during half time at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The Clemson Tigers unfortunately saw their season come to an end in the first-round of the College Football Playoff against the Texas Longhorns. 

While the loss to the Longhorns was disappointing, it was a strong season overall for the Tigers. The program was able to win double-digit games, another ACC Title, and being in the CFP is certainly an accomplishment. 

Now, the focus of the program will be toward improving once again in 2025. There is potentially a lot to like about this team next season, especially on the offensive side of the ball. 

If Cade Klubnik returns, Clemson is going to have a potential Heisman Trophy candidate under center. Also, they have two extremely talented freshman wide receivers in T.J. Moore and Bryant Wesco Jr. Those two will certainly be back, and their leading receiver Antonio Williams also could return. 

With that talented group potentially being back, the Tigers are going to be one of the favorites in the ACC. However, they will have some new stiff competition to their north, as Bill Belichick has taken over as the head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels. 

Recently, head coach Dabo Swinney commented on the future Hall of Famer coming into the ACC. 

“It’s incredible,” Swinney said recently to Jason Priester of the Clemson Insider. “I think it’s a great compliment to our league for sure. It’s hard to get better than coach Belichick. He’s an unbelievable, proven coach and winner. I think it’s really cool. I think we play them next year,” he said. “That wasn’t on my radar coming into the season that the guy that’s got more Super Bowl wins than anybody would be coming into our league. I think it’s really cool. Great opportunity for those kids that are in that program.”

Seeing Belichick coming into the college game could have a massive impact on the ACC, and the game in general. As one of the best NFL head coaches of all-time, he will certainly be bringing one of the most complex schemes on the defensive side of the ball into the college ranks. 

Where there will be an interesting transition for Belichick is in recruiting and working through the NIL landscape. However, he isn’t far removed from being the head coach of the New England Patriots, and recruits might want to play for him no matter what. 

The Tar Heels might be more well-known for their basketball program, but Belichick is likely going to make the football program one of the most desirable in the country to come to.