Brownell hears Neff "loud and clear," says he wants to take Clemson to Final Four

Brownell said he understands the expectations at Clemson.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Wed Apr 13 15:49:41 GMT-04:00 2022

CLEMSON – Men’s head basketball coach Brad Brownell hears what new athletic director Graham Neff is saying. In fact, he hears it and what the fans are saying, loud and clear.

Clemson finished 17-16 last season – including an 8-12 mark in the ACC - and missed postseason play. That led Neff, who was named to the AD job in December, to write a letter detailing the high expectations for next season.

Brownell returns star forward PJ Hall, who is set to be one of the best big men in the ACC and perhaps the country. Chase Hunter, Ian Schieffelin, Ben Middlebrooks, and senior Hunter Tyson all should provide an experienced supporting cast for Hall, who enters his junior season.

Neff’s letter made it clear that the NCAA Tournament was the goal, there have only been three NCAA appearances during Brownell’s 12 season. The Tigers have been to the NCAA Tournament in two out of the last five years, however, and this season’s double-digit seed in the ACC Tournament marked just the third time that’s happened in the Brownell era.

Brownell, speaking to the media Wednesday, said he understands the level of frustration from the fans and that his goals haven’t changed – he wants to take the Tigers to a Final Four.

"I know there is some level of frustration with us and our program, wanting more and more," Brownell said. "And believe me, the guy who wants it most is me. I hear it loud and clear from Graham. I agree with it. I want to be as good as we can be. I'm excited that we're getting more and more resources for basketball support. I'm not going to shy away from expectation. I want to go for a Final Four here.

“But I think last season was an example of the kind of program we have. We've had one losing season since I've been the head coach at Clemson. You can go through the league and almost every other school has had that or more. Most of them have had a lot more. And I get it. Everything is measured by the tournament, which is fine, and that's our expectation is to make the tournament. That's what we're trying to do. And we're getting to the point where, hey, we need to get in there and even do more. We need to try to get more Sweet 16s and Final Fours and those kinds of things.”

Brownell said everything else within the program – specifically the financial commitment – has to meet the level of expectations.

"If you're going to raise the level of expectations, you've got to meet it in every other thing," Brownell said. "Your facilities, your salaries for your staff, your salaries for your coaches. I'm excited because Graham recognizes it. And Graham wants to be good. Graham and I have been in the weeds together for a long time. He and I have fought a lot of great battles together. We don't always agree on everything. But he and I have a good relationship and we can speak candidly with one another.

"I know he's trying. He wants to continue to help us take our program to the next level, which is exciting for a coach. That's what you want."