CLEMSON -- Brad Brownell was always an Indiana boy. But now he's a Clemson man.
On Friday, the school's Board of Trustees rewarded Brownell for not just a highly successful 15th season as the Tigers coach, but also for not pursuing the Indiana job when the Hoosiers seriously courted him last month.
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Clemson added two years to Brownell's contract to make it a six-year deal.
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Brownell was scheduled to make $3.75 million in 2025-26. He'll now make $4 million in the opening year of a contract that increases to $4.5 million in 2027-28 and to $5 million in the fifth year of the agreement.
Said Brownell: “I remain honored and grateful to have led this program for 15 years and for the opportunity to continue to coach and develop young people in both basketball and life at Clemson.
"I’m appreciative of the support from Graham Neff, President Jim Clements and our administration to continue to build upon our successes in basketball – on and off the court. I’m proud of the continuity of my staff and the critical role they play in winning, player development and recruiting.”
After Nick Saban retired and Alabama hired Kalen Deboer as his replacement, Dabo Swinney told his team that he "was always an Alabama boy but now I'm a Clemson man."
Swinney wasn't seriously pursued for that job, but he did seem to have a revelation about his love for Clemson during that time period.
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Brownell, who spent years drawing criticism from fans, probably had a similar experience as Indiana pursued him. He's from Indiana and for many years he considered the Hoosiers position a dream job.
But he's happy at Clemson after leading the Tigers to an Elite Eight appearance a year ago, followed by 27 wins and an 18-2 ACC record this past season.
The school also extended raises and extensions to assistants Dick Bender, Billy Donlon and Sean Dixon.
