Where Clemson’s Brad Brownell Stands in ACC Coach of the Year Race

There is a case to be made that the Clemson Tigers' head coach is worthy of the conference-level honor

It's far from a lock, but the Clemson head coach certainly has a case | Peter Casey-Imagn Images

As the Clemson Tigers’ regular season winds down, the ACC Coach of the Year conversation has become more complicated. Wednesday night’s upset loss at Wake Forest only added another wrinkle.

Brownell has no doubt overachieved with the Tigers in 2026. National expectations for this season’s Clemson team were mediocre at best. CBS Sports college basketball analyst Cameron Salerno picked the Tigers to finish 7th in a middling ACC, citing a loss of last season’s offensive pieces. Fellow writer David Cobb pegged Clemson to finish 13th in the conference, behind now-struggling squads like Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, and Notre Dame.

Clemson faced adversity multiple times in non-conference play. Following a tough five-point loss at Georgetown in November, the Tigers rattled off four straight wins, including two victories in the Charleston Classic over West Virginia and Georgia.

However, the start of December brought a pair of losses to top-12 opponents (Alabama and BYU) away from home, dropping the Tigers’ record to 7-3. From there, the team took off, winning nine straight games and eventually 13 of 14.

At that point, Brownell looked like a strong contender – maybe even the favorite – for the award. However, an active three-game losing streak has now put those claims in doubt.

While fans can’t fault Clemson too much for the blowout loss to Duke on Saturday (the Tigers held the Blue Devils to a mere 67 points), that loss was sandwiched around two concerning defeats to Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.

Neither the Hokies nor the Demon Deacons will likely qualify for the tournament. The Wake Forest game was one that was a must-win for Clemson to regain its footing. Instead, the team dropped a third straight game for the first time since January 2024.

Still, Brownell is far from alone in the ACC’s crowded Coach of the Year race, as multiple programs have exceeded expectations in different ways.

Perhaps Brownell’s strongest competition comes from Duke head coach Jon Scheyer. In his fourth season leading the Blue Devils, Scheyer has won 113 games since taking over for future Hall of Famer Mike Krzyzewski. This season, Duke is 24-2, good for a No. 3 ranking in this week’s Associated Press poll. True freshman Cameron Boozer has continued to build on a campaign that’s worthy of Wooden and Naismith Award consideration, averaging 22.8 points and 10.0 rebounds per game.

Another candidate for the award is Miami head coach Jai Lucas. Following a brutal 7-24 season and the retirement of longtime head coach Jim Larrañaga, the Hurricanes have made a 180-degree turnaround. Miami sits at 21-5, 10-3 in ACC play, and a projected No. 8 seed courtesy of multiple bracket pundits. That first-year impact could be enough for Lucas to earn a substantial amount of votes for the award.

Compared to Scheyer and Lucas, Brownell’s case rests on expectations versus results. Clemson began this season with modest expectations, but has spent much of the spring near the top of the ACC standings. That’s a testament to the program’s leader. How Clemson closes the regular season may ultimately determine whether that early momentum carries enough weight with voters.

Brownell has a chance to bolster his case and win a 21st game of the season when the Tigers host Florida State (13-13, 6-7 ACC) on Saturday afternoon. Tip-off from Littlejohn Coliseum is set for noon on the ACC Network.