Clemson's Brad Brownell Breaks Silence on Indiana Hoosiers Job Opening

The ACC has a new longest-reigning head coach in Clemson Tigers' head man, Brad Brownell. However, there was some doubt earlier this year when a college basketball blue blood came calling to fill their head coaching vacancy, but instead of leaving, the Tigers’ head coach inked a lucrative new contract extension.

Following the Indiana Hoosiers’ and former head coach Mike Woodson parting ways, a list of coaches who were interested in taking the job in the fabled Assembly Hall included Brownell. Brownell is an Evansville, Ind., native and lifelong Hoosier fan, making him a prime target for the Hoosiers.

The job eventually went to West Virginia’s Darian DeVries, but Brownell was clear that Clemson was his home after spending the last 15 years building a program.

“I’ve been here 15 years,” Brownell said on Tuesday. “This becomes your program, and you feel like ‘Hey, I want to take this as far as I feel comfortable taking it, where we can go, continue to grow and get better,’ but likely, my wife and everybody, this is where we want to be. So to leave here and do something else doesn’t seem like the right decision.”

Brownell consulted his family before making a decision, including his two daughters, Abby and Kate, living in the Greenville area after graduating from Clemson. While he describes the Hoosier job as “the job” that could have swayed his decision, he says that the job opportunity “didn’t feel right” at the time.

“I spoke with them. I was never the guy, so that was fine,” Brownell said. “I was really happy with what was going on here. Obviously, the timing of all those things going on is never great because you’re in the middle of a hard season at an important time and you’re trying to do well in finishing that.”

The Clemson head coach has picked up numerous accolades throughout his tenure with the Tigers. He holds the most wins in program history by a coach, winning 292 games. In addition, Brownell has also taken the team to two Sweet 16s and an Elite Eight, which occurred two seasons ago.

However, Brownell is thankful for the time that Clemson has given him in building a top ACC threat on the hardwood.

“Obviously, most coaches don’t make it this long,” he said. “They’ve been patient with me during my time. I think we’ve rewarded them with the kind of program that you can be proud of and the young men that you can be proud of, and so I want to continue to see this place do well.”

Clemson basketball is set for another contending season. The team has several big dates already, including a ACC/SEC Challenge game against Alabama and a date in New York City with the BYU Cougars for the Jimmy V Classic.

For that, Brownell wants to keep things going at Littlejohn Coliseum.

“I poured my heart and soul into this place for 15 years,” he said. “There’s been a lot of blood, sweat, and tears; there’s been everything. There've been tremendous highs, there've been difficult lows, but through all of it, there've been unbelievable life experiences and relationships with people that have meant a lot to me, and still do, and I would like to still keep going here.

“We just felt really at home here, and I’m grateful for being the coach here.”