Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney told reporters Tuesday that Bill Belichick deserves "a little bit of slack" for their brief postgame handshake, chalking the awkward moment up to field-rushing fans and a grueling game.
Swinney addressed the moment during his weekly media availability, three days after the Tigers rallied from a 17-3 deficit to beat Belichick's North Carolina Tar Heels at Memorial Stadium. The come-from-behind win sent Clemson fans pouring onto the field, and the two coaches managed only what Swinney called a "drive-by" greeting before the crowd swallowed the scene.
The handshake, or lack of one, had drawn attention on social media and in sports-media circles. But Swinney went out of his way to defend the Super Bowl-winning coach now running UNC's program, pointing out that Belichick spent decades in the NFL and may not be used to the post-victory chaos that college football stadiums produce.
Swinney framed the moment as a product of circumstance, not disrespect. He told reporters Tuesday that Belichick likely found the postgame environment unfamiliar after years of coaching in professional stadiums where fans stay in the stands.
"I've been on both sides of it. You got fans on the field, that's not really normal for him. I don't know how many places he's been. This guy's been coaching a long time. I'm not sure he's been on many fields where he's got some random person right here, you don't know who he is, he just came out of the bleachers, and he's talking to him."
Swinney added that he was on the opposite side of the field when the game ended, making a proper handshake logistically difficult amid the crowd.
"I don't know (if) that was a normal experience for him, so let's give him a little bit of slack here. And then I was way over on the other side (of the field), kind of coming at him. But Coach Belichick's great, man. It was just kind of a drive-by moment. The game went for 22 hours."
That last line, the game lasting "22 hours", was Swinney's way of saying the contest felt endless. And given the scoring swings, it's easy to see why.
North Carolina jumped out to a 17-3 lead and appeared in control. Clemson fans inside Memorial Stadium booed their own team as the Tigers stumbled through the first half, heading into the break with just six points on the board.
The second half was a different game. Clemson outscored UNC 22-3 over the final 30 minutes, scoring 25 of the game's last 28 points to complete the comeback.
Quarterback Tait Reynolds, making his first start under center for Clemson, finished 20-of-29 for 215 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Running back Gideon Davidson carried the ball 16 times for 105 yards and punched in an 8-yard touchdown.
Reynolds and Davidson gave the Tigers enough offense to flip a game that looked lost at halftime, and enough emotion at the final whistle to send the home crowd onto the field.
Belichick himself has not publicly addressed the postgame moment. Swinney's comments Tuesday stand as the only on-the-record explanation from either sideline.
Clemson moves on quickly. The Tigers play their next ACC game Friday night at Cal, with kickoff set for 10:30 p.m. ET.
In a sport where postgame handshakes get dissected like fourth-quarter play calls, Swinney handled this one the right way, he stuck up for a fellow coach and moved on. More people in sports, and in public life, could stand to do the same.
