When Clemson basketball fell to McNeese in the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament just days after hearing about a Brad Brownell extension in the works, fans were quick to call it a mistake.
OK, not all fans, but there were definitely a good amount.
But when you sit down and really look at what he's accomplished since 2010-11 compared to the rest of the program's history, you have to realize just how great of a job he's done.
On top of that, his $3.6 million salary isn't even top 20 in the country and if you look at the guys ahead of his, there are several that you'd probably rank Brownell ahead of. And yet some fans want the school to reconsider his extension. Who would you possibly replace him with that would leave their current high-paid jobs at traditionally better programs?
In the history of Clemson hoops before Brownell took over in 2010-11, the program combined for 11 20-win seasons. That's right, in 100 years, the Tigers had just 11 seasons in which it finished with at least 20 wins but since he took over, Clemson has seven 20-win seasons.
No coach in program history has seen the kind of success he's seen.
Moreover, Clemson had just 10 NCAA Tournament appearances in its 100-year history before Brownell and since he took over about 15 years ago, he has five. Is that great? No, but it shows that the program isn't exactly a traditional basketball power and it takes time to get it to that level and Brownell is slowly but surely leading the Tigers to the top.
So while the first-round loss to McNeese was frustrating and it felt like a massive letdown after one of the best seasons in school history, you have to remember that this was one of the best seasons in program history because of Brownell and he was fresh off an Elite Eight run last year.
NCAA Tournament upsets happen and when that does take place, we can sometimes become prisoners of the moment, but Brownell is the right guy for the job.
And the next five years should be special.