Brad Brownell breaks down new contract, program evolution

Brad Brownell leads another Clemson team seeking a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.

Grayson Mann - Staff Writer - Thursday, March 20 2025

PROVIDENCE - Much can change in 24 hours.

On Tuesday night, rumors about Brad Brownell’s candidacy for the vacancy at Indiana were put to rest.

The next morning, both he and Clemson appear to be locking things down for the foreseeable future.

Per multiple reports, Brownell is finalizing a six-year deal with Clemson, keeping him around until 2031.

The last few seasons have been defined as some of the best in this program’s history, with three straight 20-win seasons, and consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament.

As Brownell gears up for the matchup with McNeese (Thursday/3:15 p.m./TruTV), he got to speak about his excitement for he’s built at Clemson, and the enthusiasm for what’s to come.

“Close to being able to finalize something,” Brownell said on the new contract ahead. “Obviously, I'm extremely excited about it. Clemson has been a very special place for me and my family for 15 years, and I have thoroughly enjoyed building the program. I love what Clemson stands for as a university and I’m proud to be a part of it. I sent my daughters there, so we're all in, as Dabo likes to say, and excited about where my program is. I think we've done an unbelievable job from facility improvements all the way to success initiatives on the floor, off the floor, and excited to try to continue this level of success.”

With that level of success has come a different type of exposure for the program, which will get another set of eyes on it as the ball tips off in Providence.

Clemson has been incredibly successful in the portal, and has been able to secure talent on the recruiting scene, with Del Jones making an immediate impact as a freshman for this team.

Brownell sees a correlation and thinks these moments open things up for the program.

“Yeah, I do think it helped in recruiting,” Brownell said. “Certainly, in the transfer portal, we'd had some success. We've been to a Sweet 16 in 2018 and had been competitive in our league, but making another run like that in the NCAA tournament. High visibility, high exposure at exactly the right time when the portal's opening and all the things that you're dealing with.”

He also sees it as beneficial to this year’s returners, who experienced last year's Elite Eight run and can now make something of their own this postseason.

“Guys know what they're kind of playing for,” Brownell said. “Chase and Ian, especially Chauncey Wiggins and Dillon Hunter, were integral parts of last year's run. I think that kind of success fuels you, and you want to continue to do it. You want to be in big-time games and play significant games in March, and I think it helped grow our team and fuel our team a little bit throughout the course of the season.”

That fuel now carries them to Providence, with a shot to create another deep run into the postseason that can start with a win over McNeese.

Brownell knows his program is continuing to evolve, and another stage in that growth could be set in store as the ball tips off on Thursday afternoon.

Brownell transcript

Q. It's been reported you're getting a big new deal with Clemson. Can you give us some details? Your thoughts on this commitment from them to you?

BRAD BROWNELL: Yeah, very close to ironing it out, extremely grateful. I have had a bunch of meetings with Graham really as the regular season was coming to an end that last week, he got with me and we started having conversations, preliminary conversations. They've heated up over the last week or so and it's been really good and we're close to being able to finalize something.

Obviously I'm extremely excited about it, happy. Clemson has been a very special place for me and my family for 15 years and just have thoroughly enjoyed building the program. Love what Clemson stands for as a university and proud to be a part of it, certainly sent my daughters there, so we're all in as Dabo likes to say, and excited about where my program is. I think we've done an unbelievable job from facility improvements all the way to success initiatives on the floor, off the floor, and excited to try to continue this level of success.

Q. The run you guys made to the final eight last year, how much do you think that maybe has kind of helped change the perception, and then to carry it over with the season you guys have had this year?

BRAD BROWNELL: Yeah, I think it helped in recruiting, certainly the transfer portal. We had some success. We went to a Sweet 16 back in '18 and have been competitive in our league, but making another run like that in the NCAA Tournament, high visibility, high exposure at exactly the right time and the portal is opening and all the things you're dealing with.

It's also been really good for this year's team. Guys knowing what they're playing for, Chase and Ian especially. Chauncey Wiggins, Dillon Hunter, guys who were part of last year's run. That kind of success fuels you and you want to continue to do it. You want to be in big-time games and play significant games in March, and I think it helped grow our team and fuel our team a little bit throughout the course of the season.

Q. Will Wade has been successful at a bunch of different schools. He's now been linked to a school in your conference. He told us here he was talking to them. I guess, what makes him successful as a coach and maybe what are some of the hallmarks of his teams?

BRAD BROWNELL: Yeah, very aggressive defensively. A lot of pressing and changing of defenses, 1-3-1, 2-2-1, 1-2-2, diamond-press. Five-way switching this year's team, so they run the gamut at you. He's done that probably... I know he did it at VCU and probably LSU, as well. Obviously has recruited very well and I think he gives his guys a lot of confidence on offense. They play with a lot of freedom and guys certainly are aggressive in making plays.

Q. How has this week been for someone like Chauncey Wiggins whose role has been elevated with Dillon Hunter out of the lineup? What have you seen from him as you've ramped up preparation?

BRAD BROWNELL: Yeah, I mean, Chauncey has been a starter for several games this year. I mean, he's fine. He's fine starting, coming off the bench. He's a confident scorer. I think he's a guy who will play well. I don't think anything really changes. Obviously losing Dillon is a little bit of an issue just from the standpoint of he's the ultimate glue guy and he does all the little things that coaches love that don't always show up as points. But, you know, we've got other players that are going to get more opportunity. Jake Heidbreder, Del Jones. They don't play exactly like Dillon, but they certainly fill a role and can be productive in the minutes that they do get, and I expect those guys to play well.

THE MODERATOR: Thanks, Coach. Anything else?

Q. I asked Ian and Hunter this question, as a coach, what do you see Dillon's role now being?

BRAD BROWNELL: Yeah, he needs to be a leader and everything that goes with that. Cheerleader at times. He needs to have serious conversations with his teammates every once in a while. I joke, but he's one of the few guys on our team that will confront his brother. His brother is probably our best player, and a lot of times the guys on our team don't like to confront the best player. Your little brother will. So there are times... it doesn't happen often, when I have had Dillon get after Chase on some things, like maybe you got a little bit more in the tank. So it's kind of fun to watch those two guys play together and have conversations together.

But he can be a big leader for our team. He can really help talk to guys like Del Jones or Jake Heidbreder when they're on the bench, Chauncey Wiggins whoever it is, and he'll be very involved. I think it was hard in the ACC Tournament because it just happened and it was gut-wrenching. These guys dream of playing in this tournament and his role has continued to grow. This was his first time starting for us, so I think that was hard for him in the ACC tournament, especially the Louisville game. Now that he's had a week to process, I think he understands more, and I actually talked to him about what we need from him in his new role.

Q. Was your locker room door open today?

BRAD BROWNELL: Was my locker room --

Q. Here. It wasn't locked?

BRAD BROWNELL: Oh, I'm sorry, yeah. We were fine. We'll see at halftime tomorrow. (Laughter)

Q. The way the ACC tournament ended for you in a controversial way, coming up short. I know you were thinking ACC tournament championship, but what kind of fire, what kind of inspiration maybe do you take from that going into this? Is there some kind of little edge, a little chip on the shoulder type of thing?

BRAD BROWNELL: Yeah, a little. I think we're onto new things, though. We're not using that as a super rallying cry. It's a little different than last year when we played so poorly against Boston College. This year it was more that we didn't play as well as we'd like, made a ferocious fight there at the end but came up a little short. It's really more learning about why we didn't play as well during parts of the Louisville game and how we have to correct that.

Ian Schieffelin, Chase Hunter transcript

Q. Guys, just simple off the top here, what do you think the ceiling is for your team headed into this tournament?

CHASE HUNTER: Yeah, we feel great. We feel great. We're ready to play. We've been getting some good practices in and just preparing for McNeese and, yeah, we feel great, feel confident and we're ready to play.

IAN SCHIEFFELIN: I think especially after the run we had last year, we know what it takes to kind of get back to that spot and just take it one game at a time. Can't overlook McNeese, and they're a good team and get ready to play them.

Q. What have the coaches told you about McNeese? Their style of play, you have to be prepared for their pressing defense.

CHASE HUNTER: Yeah. Yeah, we know they like to switch a lot. They like to press, like you said. They play really hard. They're a team that plays really free on offense. They have some guys who can shoot, have some guys who really like to drive. They're a good team. That's what we know. We just need to be prepared for them.

IAN SCHIEFFELIN: Yeah, I think one key is keeping them off the offensive glass. They're one of the best offensive rebounding teams, not just in the conference but in the country. So just keeping them off the glass in rebounding.

Q. A lot of people have said through the years that the Elite Eight is the hardest place to lose in the whole sequence because many things, for one thing, in your locker room hearing the celebration outside. I wonder if that sticks with you a lot because of the juncture where it happened, the stage where it happened.

CHASE HUNTER: Yeah, it definitely stung. It stung a lot last year, just knowing we were that close to being in the Final Four, a few plays away, a few baskets from being on that bigger stage, but it's all motivation. That's what we have been using it as going into this season, just motivated to be in that moment again and being able to win.

IAN SCHIEFFELIN: I agree with Chase. We were probably a few plays away from making the Final Four and that's everyone's dream during the day and going into the summer, that's something me and Chase, bringing in these new guys and telling them how much fun it is to be going on this run and try to get back at that spot, and we know what it takes to get back there and we're going to take it one game at a time.

Q. I watched the triple overtime game against Georgia Tech and thought you guys would be completely gassed after that and you turned around and had great performances. What does that say about the resilience you all have?

CHASE HUNTER: It just speaks to this team and the players and coaches. We never want to give up. We know we can win any game. The Louisville game, we were down a lot and still came back and we were one possession away.

But it speaks to the mentality of the players and coaches knowing we can go in any game and win. No matter what happens, we're always in the game.

IAN SCHIEFFELIN: I agree with Chase. That game didn't end how we wanted it to. It was a hard-fought game and I think we had Duke next game, so we had to mentally change pages and get ready for the next game. This team is a lot of older guys so we know how to flip -- you're not going to win every game. Just switching that mentality and being prepared for that game.

Q. The three-point shooting has sort of dropped off the last three games. Is that a concern for you guys going into this? Is it something that's sort of weighing on you a little bit?

CHASE HUNTER: No, I wouldn't say so. It happens sometimes in this game. You just got to go into the next game ready, confident in yourself, and I think that we'll definitely shoot it well. We're just going to keep putting up shots and just moving on to the next game and being confident for the next one.

IAN SCHIEFFELIN: Yeah, you're not going to shoot the ball well every night. That's one of the reasons this team is good. We can find ways to win, even if we're not shooting well every night. Hopefully it'll pick up a little bit.

Q. All right, guys. What is Dillon's influence now on the team? Broken hand, out, but how does he influence things?

CHASE HUNTER: Yeah, being that leader on the sideline. I told him last game, talk to me. Let me know what you see out there on the floor. Let me know what you're thinking. When you're out of the game, you can really see more. Being in the game, you're really locked in, so for me it's just talking to him and telling him to lead me in ways that he usually hasn't and just being an extra leader on the floor or off the floor and giving us different pointers and things that we need to know.

IAN SCHIEFFELIN: I think the biggest thing since he's been injured, his energy he provides, but at the end of the day, even when he's on the side, he's providing that energy and he's still great about being happy and cheering up other players and talking up players and just bringing that energy, even though he's not playing, he's still there and making an impact.