Clemson AD addresses baseball's future outlook with Monte Lee

Clemson topped the 40-win mark and hosted a regional in Lee's first three years, but his teams have gone 31-35 in ACC play in the last two full seasons.

by TigerNet Staff - Fri May 28 10:56:50 GMT-04:00 2021

Clemson athletic director Dan Radakovich addressed reaction to a disappointing season for Clemson baseball and the future of the program under sixth-year head coach Monte Lee in a statement to TigerNet this week.

The Tigers finished 25-27 this week out of the ACC Baseball Championship in Charlotte, clinching a first losing season for the program since 1957. When the NCAA Tournament field is announced on Monday, Clemson will miss out on the action for only the second time since 1987.

Radakovich acknowledged that the season didn't reach the high standards set for Tiger baseball.

"I am grateful for our fans and recognize the passion and support they have for this program," Radakovich said. "We all have high expectations for our baseball program, and no one understands those better than Monte Lee. While the 2021 baseball season fell short of the on-field expectations, we have reason to be optimistic about the future of Clemson Baseball under Monte."

Clemson topped the 40-win mark and hosted a regional in Lee's first three years with the program, but his teams have gone 31-35 in regular-season ACC play over the last two full seasons.

In defense of the program's future under his leadership, Lee cited a pair of top-10 recruiting class rankings recently and said he was getting back to work right away to turning things around.

“I am a believer in the track record. I have 13 years' experience as a head coach and I've put together a lot of successful teams,” Lee said. “So, I believe in myself and I believe I can lead this team, I can get this team going in the right direction again. I believe in my toughness. I am confident I can coach this team at a high level and can coach baseball at a high level. So, I certainly believe in myself and will certainly express myself to Dan.

"But I also must look at all the things we have to get better at and all the things we need to improve upon. I am sure that when I get the opportunity we will certainly discuss those things and I will get Dan's input as well. He is one of the best athletic directors in the country and I am sure there are some things he would want to share with me as well. That is kind of where I am.”

As Lee hinted to, Radakovich and Lee will meet coming up, per usual.

"As we do each season, we will evaluate all areas of the program, and I am looking forward to meeting with Monte on how we can continue to support him and this proud program," Radakovich said.