But if you really give credit to TDP in the last two HCing hires in OP and BB , Clemson has gone to 7 NCAATs in the last 21 years, including now under BB in the last 7 years a Sweet Sixteen and an Elite 8. Also a few NIT runs in that 21 year span.
If you asked me how bad this program was under Shyatt in the middle of his last season, that would happen I would have taken it bigtime.
Now that the program has put a lot more into basketball, is using NIL as it's disposal the future looks a lot brighter.
The key of that to make it so much more productive in the next 21 years will be joining the SEC or the BIG with a lot more revenue to put into basketball.
Those who are really still against Brownell or are big supports of him, let's be honest Coach Brownell would have never made it after year 7 if they were in either Conference because they would have had a lot more $$$ to take care of any high buyout. You can go look at any coaching tenures in those two conferences in the past ten years of similar performance as proof that any coaches did not last that long because of better capital to afford those moves. This is also going to be an easier task if BB sinks to that level again in a few more years.
I can see in the 10 years of stronger sucess and profit bringing Clemson a much needed brand new arena back to the 10K+ attendance level .
There is a lot to look foward to Clemson Basketball in a future new conference.
Don’t need to point at SEC or B1G. Brad Brownell’s tenure is unprecedented in the ACC. I find no evidence of anyone at any ACC program in the last 40 years having been tenured more than 10 years with less to show for it. Of active coaches with lengthy tenures, Larranaga has been there a year less, has 6 appearances, a Final Four, and 10 total NCAA tourney wins. Hamilton is likely on his last legs at FSU but has made the tourney more frequently and won a higher percentage of tourney games. I’m definitely not suggesting he will or should be dismissed but I think it’s time for that investment to be acknowledged and put any potential raise into whatever resources he needs beyond his own pocket. And the “can’t recruit without ‘x’ amount of time” on contract needs to be thrown out the window. He’s already way below the normal threshold and done just fine.