Shawn Poppie's Turnaround Earns Five-Year Extension at Clemson Women's Basketball

The 2025-26 season has been kind to both Clemson basketball teams, and the women’s basketball team is continuing its exponential rise.

That begins with head coach Shawn Poppie, who was approved for a five-year extension by the Clemson University Board of Trustees Compensation Committee on Friday morning. He will now remain with the program until the 2030-31 season.

Coach Poppie has ✍️ a contract extention through the 2030-31 season! pic.twitter.com/mEAjgcdVJu
— Clemson Women's Basketball (@ClemsonWBB) February 6, 2026

Beginning on March 1, he will earn $800,000, increasing by $25,000 increments until the 2030-31 season. It can rise to as high as $900,000.

To put it simply, Poppie is drastically changing the trajectory of Clemson’s women’s basketball program, already exceeding the win total in his first season. The Tigers have already picked up 16 wins, surpassing their total of 14 in the 2024-25 season.

Clemson (16-8, 7-5 ACC) is also currently in the driver’s seat for its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2019. Currently, the Tigers are the second-to-last team in the field, a No. 12 seed in the Big Dance, according to ESPN bracketologist Charlie Creme.

In just his two seasons with the program, perhaps Poppie’s best effort has been on the recruiting trail. The Tigers just added four new commits from the 2026 class, which has them with the No. 4 recruiting class in the country. That includes top 10 prospect Trinity Jones, who is the No. 2 shooting guard in the class, according to 247Sports.

“The profile and competitive success of the women’s basketball program under Coach Poppie’s direction continues to rise,” Director of Athletics Graham Neff said in a statement. “What he and his staff have been able to do on the court, in the community and on the recruiting trail has been remarkable in terms of growth and engagement, and we’re excited to continue to see the program reach new heights with this renewed commitment.”

Clemson fans are also buying into it. In his first year at the helm, Poppie’s team saw a 91% year-over-year home attendance growth. That was the best in the ACC.

Poppie’s success also comes from taking down some of the top teams in the conference. The Tigers hadn’t beaten NC State in 15 years before a win on Jan. 8. The same goes for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who Clemson took down in South Bend, Indiana, on Jan. 25 for its first win against the Irish in six seasons.

The Tigers do it through their defense, allowing the fewest points in the ACC at 57.4 a contest. Then, they score through their success beyond the arc. Poppie’s team is second-best in three-point percentage in the conference at 34.3%. Clemson’s 8.6 threes per game is the best in the ACC.

The fun will only continue to rise as Clemson has six ACC games remaining before the ACC Tournament. The Tigers will need to continue to string together wins to remain in the field for the NCAA Tournament, but with Poppie at the helm, that’s where the trajectory is headed.

Clemson women’s basketball hosts Boston College on Sunday afternoon in its next contest at Littlejohn Coliseum. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on ACCNX.