Bill Belichick has immense, deeply rooted respect for Clemson – not only for the football program itself, but also for its storied history, as well as the current culture that head coach Dabo Swinney has created.

Ahead of his first career trip to Clemson’s Memorial Stadium, North Carolina’s head coach shared high praise for Clemson’s history and tradition, the legacy of Frank Howard, and the unique weight that football carries at Clemson.

Belichick, the six-time Super Bowl champion head coach of the famed New England Patriots, noted his respect for the program comes in part from his NFL career and scouting trips.

“I spent many spring days at Clemson looking at their great players, the great players that have come out of there in that program,” Belichick said earlier this week.

Belichick expressed appreciation for the Clemson program’s foundational roots, specifically referencing Howard, who coached the Tigers from 1940-69, won 165 games, inspired the legendary Howard’s Rock tradition and has the playing surface at Memorial Stadium named after him.

Belichick also brought up former Tiger players that he has coached or become familiar with, ranging from past generations to recent stars like Christian Wilkins.

“They have a great tradition, going all the way back – I mean, they have Frank Howard, and you know, back a long time,” Belichick said. “At the Giants, I’ve coached a lot of players from Clemson – you know, guys like Terry Kinard, Andy Headen, guys like that,” he said. “So, I’m pretty familiar with how important football is at Clemson and how important it is, to more recent players, guys like Christian Wilkins and guys like that, that have come out of there, that have been really good players.”

Belichick’s profound respect for Clemson carries over to Swinney himself in the present day.

He lauded Swinney as a coach who builds his program the right way, genuinely cares about his players, and prioritizes preparing them for the next chapter of their life or football career, just as much as he prioritizes winning.

“Coach Swinney has done a great job,” Belichick said. “I’ve known him a long time. I think he’s a guy who really cares about the game, cares about his players, and cares about doing the right thing. 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.

“All the kids that have come out of there, I’ve been really impressed with. So, I think that speaks a lot to the way he runs his program.”

Clemson (1-1) and North Carolina (2-0) open ACC play on Saturday, with kickoff set for noon on ESPN.

Last season in Chapel Hill, Swinney’s Tigers defeated Belichick’s Tar Heels, 38-10, in what was only the second matchup in college football history of a head coach with multiple FBS national championships and a multi-time Super Bowl champion head coach.