Who is Clemson`s basketball coach, Brad Brownell? Taking a look at the Tigers HC's coaching career
No. 6 seed Clemson Tigers advanced to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2018, signaling a potential breakthrough for head coach Brad Brownell. His team was able to defeat No. 3 seed Baylor and now, they have the honor of facing up against No. 2 seed Arizona for the chance to get to the Elite Eight.
In his 14th season at the helm, Brownell has had a modicum of success as head coach for the Tigers. But where did he coach before coming to the school? That question will be answered here.
Brad Brownell`s early coaching days
Brad Brownell started coaching in 1991, shortly after playing college basketball for the DePauw Tigers in NCAA D3. Like almost every one of his peers, he started as an assistant. He was hired by the Evansville Purple Aces the same year, staying there until 1992.
After his short stint with the Purple Aces, he moved on to the Indianapolis Greyhounds until 1994. His last assistant job would be with the UNC Wilmington Seahawks, keeping his position until 2002 when he was promoted to head coach.
Brownell held the head coaching position at UNC Wilmington until 2006. He would then be hired by Wright State the same year, where he stayed until 2010. Clemson would hire him the same year.
Brad Brownell`s coaching record
Throughout his head coaching career, Brownell has had a relatively good run. His all-time record is 431-273 covering UNC Wilmington, Wright State, and Clemson, not counting his wins in the NCAA Tournament. But when specifically talking about his career with the Tigers, his record is at 264-188.
Brownell`s teams have appeared in seven total NCAA Tournaments. His most noteworthy achievement is that he led UNC Wilmington, Wright State, and Clemson to the Big Dance at least once. But he experienced the most relative success with the Tigers, leading them to four out of those seven total appearances.
Brownell last led his team to the Sweet Sixteen in the 2017-2018 season with Clemson. They finished the regular season 25-10 before falling to No. 4 seed Kansas, 80-76. This year, he has the chance to lead the Tigers further than he`s ever done.