Brad Brownell has communicated some with Dabo Swinney during the NCAA Tournament, and the Tigers’ head basketball coach spoke Friday about what he’s heard from the Tigers’ head football coach during this tournament run.

Based on what Swinney has told him, Brownell believes “there’s a lot of jockeying going on between some of [Swinney’s] friends who are Bama fans.”

Of course, Swinney is an Alabama native and former Crimson Tide player and coach, and Brownell’s sixth-seeded Clemson team (24-11) is getting set for its Elite Eight matchup with No. 4 Alabama (24-11) on Saturday in Los Angeles.

“There might be even a few dinners bet with some of his old cronies,” Brownell said, “because he told me this morning that we really need to win.”

Brownell said he heard from Swinney before and after Clemson’s 77-72 win over No. 2 Arizona in the Sweet 16 on Thursday night, as well as Friday morning.

“About three times [Thursday] — leading into the game, once or twice, and then after the game, got a text from him, and then another text first thing [Friday] morning,” said Brownell, who has guided the Tigers to their second Elite Eight appearance in program history and first since 1980.

Brownell, Clemson’s all-time winningest men’s basketball coach, is good friends with Swinney, the winningest coach in Clemson football history.

Brownell is in his 14th season at Clemson, while the upcoming college football season will be Swinney’s 16th full season as the Tigers’ head football coach.

“Obviously we have a great relationship. He took me under his wing when I first got to Clemson. He was maybe in year two,” Brownell said.

“We’ve spent a lot of time together over the years. He’s a huge basketball fan and thinks he’s a good player. He loves to play. It’s fun. We enjoy each other’s company. We play golf some together. We have vacationed occasionally with each other and our families. They’re just great people.”

Brownell added that relationships like the one he shares with Swinney is “one of the best things about being at Clemson.”

“We just have so many good folks in our department, certainly in our community. You just really enjoy being a part of it,” Brownell said. “And Dabo is one of the guys that makes everybody feel welcome. We all know who he is and how famous he is and all that, but to us he’s just a regular guy.”

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