Clemson Basketball Coaching Staff
Last Game
Pittsburgh
Jan 22, 2022
Clemson, SC
Next Game
Duke
Jan 25, 7:00pm
Durham, NC
Brad Brownell
Head Coach
Brad Brownell enters his 12th season in charge of the Clemson men’s basketball program in 2021-22. The Evansville, Ind., native was named the 22nd men’s basketball coach at Clemson University on April 13, 2010.
In 11 seasons in Clemson, he has compiled a 201-150 record, which places him first all-time in Clemson coaching history with 201 victories. He has taken the Tigers to the 2021 NCAA Tournament, 2018 Sweet 16, 2011 NCAA Tournament and three NIT appearances. He is No. 1 in Clemson coaching history in terms of winning percentage against ACC competition and his 100 wins over ACC teams are the most-ever in program history.
Brownell enters his 20th season overall with a career record of 368-235. The 2020-21 Tigers finished 10-6 in ACC play –tied for the second-most wins in ACC play. Their 11-1 home record is a top five winning percentage all time in Littlejohn Coliseum.
Led by Brownell, the Tigers won their first-ever game in Chapel Hill against North Carolina on Jan. 11, 2020. Three days later, the Tigers topped No. 3 Duke and made Brownell the all-time wins leader in Clemson history by passing Cliff Ellis. All told, Clemson won three games that season against Top-6 ranked opponents – leading the country. Prior to the season being cancelled due to COVID-19, the Tigers defeated Miami in the ACC Tournament – ending the season with a victory for the first time since 1950. Following the season, Aamir Simms earned All-ACC recognition by being named to the All-ACC Third Team.
The Tigers won 20 games in back-to-back seasons (2017-19) for the first time since 2009-10 and 2010-11. Those 45 combined victories over those two campaigns are the third-most wins in back-to-back seasons in Clemson history. Following the 2018-19 season, two Tigers earned All-ACC recognition with Marcquise Reed named to the All-ACC Third Team and Elijah Thomas earning back-to-back selections to the All-ACC Defensive team.
Clemson turned in a banner season under Brownell in 2017-18 – advancing to just the 12th NCAA Tournament in program history, including the program’s fourth Sweet 16. Clemson’s 25-10 record tied the school mark for wins in a season. For the remarkable year, Brownell was named National College Coach of the Year by Sports Illustrated. Clemson posted a program record 11 ACC regular season wins in 2017-18, making it the seventh time in program history the Tigers have won 10 or more games in the ACC, and four have now come under Brownell’s watch.
Brownell’s squad was picked to finish 13th in the ACC Preseason Media Poll and ended up finishing tied for third in the final ACC standings – the largest differential from preseason media poll to postseason seasons finish in league history (since 1970).
The Tigers finished 15-1 at home during the regular season – tying the program mark for most regular season home wins in a single year. The team won 11 ACC regular season games and defeated 10 different ACC teams along the way for the first time in history.
Brownell saw four players earn All-ACC recognition at the end of the season. Marcquise Reed earned All-ACC Second-Team, Gabe DeVoe was named All-ACC Honorable Mention and Elijah Thomas was named to the All-ACC Defensive Team. Shelton Mitchell was named second-team All-ACC Tournament. Both Reed and DeVoe were named ACC Players of the Week during the season.
In 2015-16, Brownell’s program made a number of strides. The Tigers were 10-8 and finished in a tie for seventh in the ACC, ahead of Final Four participant Syracuse. Clemson defeated four ranked teams, including three in the same week to become the first ACC team to do that in the regular season since Wake Forest in 2003.
Brownell guided the Tigers to a landmark road overtime win over Syracuse on Jan. 5, 2016, before coaching Clemson to wins over Louisville, Duke and Miami all in the same week. Duke and Miami were ranked in the top 10, giving the Clemson program its first back to back wins over top-10 teams since 1975-76. His team added a landmark victory in 2016-17 at South Carolina, ranked in the top 25 at the time of the meeting. It gave the Tigers a win over an eventual Final Four team for a second straight season.
Brownell coached two-time All-ACC forward Jaron Blossomgame, who was also named 2016 Most Improved Player in the conference by the media and coaches. Blossomgame had a monumental junior campaign, averaging over 20 points per game with the third-highest ACC regular season point total in Clemson history. He finished his career fifth in program history with 1,733 points.
Brownell’s 2014-15 team posted an 8-10 mark in the ACC regular season, which included a win at Sweet 16 participant NC State. The Tigers also defeated a pair of NCAA Tournament teams from the SEC, LSU and a top-25 Arkansas squad.
The 2013-14 team finished with a 23-13 record and advanced to New York City for the NIT semifinals. Among Clemson’s 23 wins were 10 during conference play, which led to a sixth-place finish in the ACC — no small feat considering the Tigers were predicted to finish 14th by league media in the preseason.
Clemson improved by 10 wins over 2012-13, matching the school record for the best single-season improvement. The Tigers also doubled their conference win total over the previous season, becoming just the fourth team in Clemson history to reach double digit ACC wins.
Clemson won all season long with a stout defense, one that yielded a program ACC era record 58.4 points per game. Brownell and his staff also did it by coaching the ACC’s free throw champions, a first for a Tiger team in 61 seasons as a member of the conference. The Tigers’ biggest win came at home against No. 13 Duke, a 72-59 victory that proved to be the Blue Devils’ largest margin of defeat all season.
Brownell and his staff coached K.J. McDaniels to a terrific individual season. The junior small forward was named first-team All-ACC and was the first Tiger to be named ACC Defensive Player of the Year. He posted top-10 single-season school marks for points (614), blocks (100), free throws made (154), free throw percentage (.842) and minutes played (1,212). McDaniels declared early for the NBA Draft and was selected 32nd overall. He completed his third NBA season in 2016-17.
In 2012-13, Brownell coached Devin Booker to third-team All-ACC honors.
In 2011-12, Brownell’s second team went 16-15 and 8-8 in ACC play — a record fifth straight season the Tigers were .500 or better in conference games. His program defeated three teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament, including eventual Sweet 16 participant NC State and No. 22 Virginia.
Brownell’s team was second in the ACC in scoring defense for a second straight season, yielding just 60.6 points per game. He coached Andre Young, a member of the All-ACC Defensive Team and the conference’s leader in steals per game during the 2011-12 regular season.
Academically, the men’s basketball program recorded one of its best all-around years under Brownell’s leadership in 2011-12. The team had the highest cumulative GPA on record for a semester (3.13) in the fall, also the top GPA among Clemson men’s athletic teams. In the spring, four players were named to the All-ACC Academic Team, including Tanner Smith, just the second four-time selection in Clemson history.
Brownell established a Clemson record for wins by a first-year coach in 2010-11 when he led the Tigers to a 22-12 overall record. The Tigers won a first-round NCAA Tournament game over UAB, the program’s first tournament victory in 14 years.
Brownell was the only first-year coach to lead his team to an NCAA Tournament win in 2011. He has taken each of his three schools (Clemson, UNC Wilmington, Wright State) to the “Big Dance” in his first year at each stop.
Clemson compiled a 9-7 record during the ACC regular season and with a Senior Day victory over Virginia Tech on March 5, Brownell’s squad clinched the No. 4 seed and a first-round bye at the ACC Tournament.
Brownell’s 2011 Tigers won an ACC Tournament and NCAA Tournament game in the same season at Clemson for the first time since 1990. His club defeated Boston College 70-47 in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament, the second-largest margin of victory in Clemson history at the event.
He coached Demontez Stitt to third-team All-ACC honors in 2011. Stitt went on to be named first-team All-ACC Tournament as well. Fellow senior Jerai Grant flourished in his lone season under Brownell’s teaching. Grant averaged career highs 12.4 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, and was also an All-ACC Defensive Team member.
Prior to Clemson, in his two previous head coaching stops, Brownell took the program to a school record number of wins as a Division I member. He had a 25-win season at UNC Wilmington in 2005-06 and a 23-win season at Wright State in 2006-07. He has had 25-win and 23-win seasons at Clemson.
Brownell guided UNC Wilmington to the NCAA Tournament in 2003 and 2006 and Wright State to the NCAAs in 2007.
Brownell joined the Clemson family after coaching Wright State to a 20-12 record in 2009-10, with a third straight 12-6 Horizon League record. In four seasons with the Raiders, his teams compiled an overall mark of 84-45, including 49-21 against Horizon League foes.
Brownell’s 2007 NCAA Tournament appearance at Wright State was the school’s first in 14 seasons. He did it behind the strength of a 15-3 conference record and two wins in the conference tourney.
Brownell coached several standouts at Wright State, including the Horizon League Player of the Year, a first-team selection, an all-league defensive team member and two all-newcomer members in 2007-08. In 2009-10, he coached guard Vaughn Duggins to second-team All-Horizon League honors.
Brownell was the head coach at UNC Wilmington from 2002-03 through the 2005-06 season and posted an 83-40 record, including a 52-20 mark against conference teams. In his four years at Wright State he posted a 55-24 record against conference foes (including conference tournament games).
Brownell was named CAA Coach of the Year in 2002-03 and 2005-06 and the Horizon League Coach of the Year in 2007-08. Additionally, Brownell was one of 15 finalists for the Hugh Durham Coach of the Year Award for mid-major programs in 2007 and was the NABC District 10 Coach of the Year. FoxSports.com also named him the Mid-Major Coach of the Year in 2006, his final year at UNC Wilmington.
Brownell began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Evansville under Jim Crews in 1991-92 and he helped that program to a 24-6 record. He served as an assistant at the University of Indianapolis in 1992-93 and 1993-94.
He then started a 12-year-run at UNC Wilmington, eight as an assistant or associate head coach, and four as the head coach. He was an assistant for the Seahawks from 1994-95 through 2001-02. His final year as an assistant under Jerry Wainwright, UNC Wilmington posted a 23-10 record, including a 17-4 mark versus conference teams (including the CAA Tournament). That team defeated Southern California in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in overtime.
His four-year CAA head coaching record was 61-22, the best league mark during the period. Brownell was twice named the CAA Coach of the Year (2003 and 2006). He coached five All-CAA performers, one CAA Player of the Year in Brett Blizzard, four All-Defensive Team selections, one Defensive Player of the Year and seven CAA All-Academic honorees.
UNC Wilmington posted a 25-8 mark his final season, 2005-06, including a victory over Final Four participant George Mason, and won the CAA Tournament. The Seahawks lost in overtime to George Washington, 88-85, in the NCAA Tournament that year.
His first UNC Wilmington team (2002-03) won 24 games and won the CAA Tournament. His club lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to defending national champion Maryland on a buzzer beater, 75-73.
Brownell, who turns 53 on Nov. 15, 2021 earned three letters at DePauw University, a Division III school in Greencastle, Ind. He ranks seventh in school history with 332 career assists. He led the Tigers in assists three straight seasons, while also leading DePauw in steals as a junior in 1989-90.
Brownell earned his bachelor’s degree from DePauw in 1991 and completed his master’s degree at the University of Indianapolis in 1994. He is a graduate of Harrison High School in Evansville, where he was a high school teammate of Calbert Cheaney, who later became the National Player of the Year in 1993 at Indiana.
Brownell and his wife, Paula, have two daughters, Abby (22), a student at Clemson, and Kate (20).
Antonio Reynolds Dean
Assistant Coach
Antonio Reynolds Dean enters his fifth season on Brad Brownell’s staff at Clemson after most recently serving as an assistant coach with the University of Rhode Island’s 2017 Atlantic 10 Championship team.
Reynolds Dean primarily works with the Tiger bigs and Clemson has seen considerable production from that area in his three seasons on the court. Aamir Simms thrived under Reynolds Dean, most notably his jump in production from 2018-19 to 2019-21. Simms averaged career-highs in points (13.0), rebounds (7.2) and led the team in points, rebounds, assists and blocks, while earning All-ACC Third-Team honors in 2020 and repeated leading the team in points, rebounds and assists –the only player ever in ACC history to do so twice – in 2021. Simms earned second-team all-conference honors in the process his senior season.
Elijah Thomas flourished under Reynolds Dean, averaging nearly a double-double with 10.7 points and 8.1 rebounds per game in 2017-18 and adding a terrific senior season with 13.1 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. Thomas also led the team in blocks with 79 in 2017-18 and 74 in 2018-19 en route to being named to the ACC All-Defensive Team in back-to-back seasons.
Thomas finished his career tied for fourth in blocks per game (1.95) and eighth in total blocks (181). He posted 18 of his 20 career double-doubles under the tutelage of Reynolds Dean.
Aamir Simms improved over his freshman season into his sophomore campaign, doubling his points per game (8.1) and increasing his rebounds per game by over 1.5 rebounds per contest.
Simms shined in his freshman debut, taking over for the injured Donte Grantham in the starting lineup. Simms provided sparks on offense and defense averaging 3.7 points and 3.2 rebounds while swatting 29 shots. Reynolds Dean and his post players helped Clemson to a 25-10 record, including 12 wins over ACC opponents his first season. The Tigers advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
Reynolds Dean helped the Rams to a 25-10 record and the 2017 NCAA Tournament where they defeated Creighton and lost by just three points to eventual Final Four team Oregon.
He is the only person in Rhode Island men’s basketball history to play on, and coach on an Atlantic 10 Conference championship team. He was a starter on the Rams 1999 team that won the title with a two-point win over a Temple team coached by Hall of Fame mentor John Chaney.
Reynolds Dean was inducted into the University of Rhode Island Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015. The native of Atlanta, Ga. finished his college career as one of just three players in program history to tally at least 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds, finishing his career from 1995-99 with 1,576 points (11th-best) and 1,028 boards (3rd-best). He averaged double figures all four years of his career and played in 131 games.
Reynolds Dean also ranks third all-time in blocked shots (235) and career games played (131). The Atlantic 10 Rookie-of-the-Year in 1995-96 also earned a spot on the A-10’s All-Defensive team in 1996-97. He was a third-team All-Atlantic 10 selection in 1998-99.
A member of one of the winningest classes in program history, his Rhode Island teams reached postseason play three times. His career was highlighted by a run to the 1998 NCAA Elite Eight that included a victory over then No. 1 ranked Kansas. A two-point loss to Stanford ended the Rams run in the regional final.
As a senior, Reynolds Dean was part of URI’s 1999 Atlantic 10 Tournament championship – the first A-10 tourney title in school history. He played two years under Al Skinner and two years under Jim Harrick at Rhode Island.
Reynolds Dean spent nine years playing professional basketball. After beginning his pro career with the Dakota Wizards of the International Basketball Association, he was named the league’s Rookie of the Year in 1999-2000. Reynolds Dean played throughout Europe and Argentina professionally.
Reynolds Dean began his coaching career as director of basketball operations at Fairfield in 2008-09 under Ed Cooley, now the head coach at Providence.
He began his career as a full-time assistant coach at Northeastern in 2009-10. He served under Head Coach Bill Coen for five seasons. Northeastern won 20 games overall, finished 14-4 in conference play, and reached the NIT in 2010 and 2013.
In 2014-15, Reynolds Dean moved to the College of Charleston where he worked under former Clemson assistant Earl Grant and current Boston College head coach. Current Clemson assistant Dick Bender was also on that staff. Reynolds Dean then returned to his alma mater for the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons.
Reynolds Dean earned his bachelor’s degree in education with an emphasis in human development and family studies from Rhode Island in 1999. In 2012, he added a master’s degree in sports leadership from Northeastern. He is the proud father of two daughters, Jasmine and Naomi.
Kareem Richardson
Assistant Coach
Kareem Richardson, a 24-year collegiate coaching veteran, joined the Tigers’ coaching staff on April 22, announced by Head Coach Brad Brownell and approved by the Board of Trustees Compensation Committee.
“I’ve known Kareem for a long time and have always been impressed by his work ethic, knowledge of the game and competitive spirit,” said Brownell. “Kareem brings a wealth of experience to the position having worked for many outstanding coaches over the years as well as serving as the head coach at UMKC. Our players will enjoy working with him and I think his experience in different regions of the country will serve us well in recruiting.”
Richardson comes to Clemson after spending the previous two seasons at Indiana State (2019-21). The Sycamores finished 33-22 and 22-14 in the Missouri Valley Conference over those seasons while producing four All-MVC players.
Prior to his second stint at Indiana State, Richardson served as the head coach at UMKC from 2013-2019. He spent one season on Rick Pitino’s staff at Louisville, helping the Cardinals to a Big East Conference championship and NCAA Final Four appearance in 2013 before leaving to become the head coach at UMKC.
He had joined Louisville from Xavier where he helped the Musketeers reach the NCAA Sweet 16 and the finals of the Atlantic 10 Tournament with a 23-12 record. He helped the Musketeers land a Top 20 recruiting class in 2011.
Richardson spent three seasons as the head assistant coach at Drake prior to his time at Xavier. He has also served on the basketball staffs at UMKC, Evansville, Indiana State, Wright State and Indianapolis.
Richardson has been ranked as one of the top assistants in college basketball according to the basketball website Collegeinsider.com. He earned a reputation as a top-level recruiter during his time at Drake, serving as recruiting coordinator and helping head coach Mark Phelps secure the top-rated recruiting class in the Missouri Valley Conference in two out of his three years there. In his first year as assistant coach at Drake, Richardson helped lead the Bulldogs to postseason play during the 2008-09 season, in the inaugural CollegeInsider.com Tournament.
Prior to Drake, Richardson was the top assistant at UMKC for the 2007-08 season. He served as assistant coach at his alma mater Evansville from 2003-07, one season (2002-03) at Wright State, as well as a stint at Indiana State (1999-2002). Richardson’s coaching career began at the University of Indianapolis from 1997-99.
Richardson helped Indiana State enjoy some tremendous success. In 2000, he helped the Sycamores reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the Larry Bird era in the late 1970s. A year later in 2001, Indiana State topped No. 4 seed Oklahoma to advance to the second round of the NCAAs.
As a player, Richardson played in an NCAA Tournament as a freshman at East Carolina University. He then transferred to Evansville in 1995 and quickly established himself as the Purple Aces’ top point guard. Richardson, who was a team captain two years, was selected to the Missouri Valley Conference all-academic team in both 1996 and 1997. In 1996, he received notoriety on the MVC all-underrated team. He was a first team all-state selection at Rantoul (Ill.) Township High School in 1992 and was twice named conference player of the year.
Richardson, who was born in Tacoma, Wash., graduated from Evansville with a bachelor’s degree in telecommunication and interpersonal communication in 1997 and received his MBA from the University of Indianapolis in 1999.
Dick Bender
Assistant Coach
Dick Bender, Clemson’s director of men’s basketball operations from 2010-14, returned to the program as an assistant coach for the Tigers in the summer of 2016. Bender worked two seasons as an assistant coach under Earl Grant, who left Clemson in 2014 to take the head coaching position at College of Charleston. He is now the head coach at Boston College. Bender enters his sixth season as an assistant in 2021-22. Bender brings 36 years of collegiate coaching and administration experience, including 35 at the Division I level.
Bender has had a positive effect on Clemson’s lead guards in his first five seasons back on staff. Marcquise Reed emerged as a top scoring threat for the Tigers in 2017-18 – leading the team with 15.8 points per contest, while adding 116 assists (second on the squad). Reed upped that averaged to nearly 20.0 points per game in 2018-19, while becoming a 1,000-point scorer in a Tiger uniform. Reed made second-team All-ACC in 2017-18 and third-team All-ACC in 2018-19. Shelton Mitchell made second-team All-ACC Tournament. He was the Tigers’ second-leading scorer and posted over 100 assists in his first season at Clemson, while upping his points-per-game to a career-high 12.2 and finished with a team-best and career-high 119 assists in 2017-18. Combined with All-NCAA Regional selection Gabe DeVoe, the Tigers won 25 games in 2017-18.
In 2020-21, young backourt players Al-Amir Dawes and Nick Honor were keys to Clemson’s run to the NCAA Tournament.
Avry Holmes led the ACC in three-point shooting percentage in 2016-17 and Bender saw the Tigers win 17 games in his first season, including a 62-60 thriller at South Carolina, a team that went on to the Final Four.
In two seasons at Charleston, Bender helped orchestrate an eight-win improvement overall from 2014-15 to 2015-16. The Cougars went 17-14 in Bender’s second season on staff, with an 8-10 record in the Colonial Athletic Association. Six of the Cougars’ players earned postseason honors, including Cameron Johnson, an All-CAA Third Team and All-Defensive Team selection.
Bender served as Clemson’s operations director in Brad Brownell’s first four seasons, 2010-14. During that stretch, the program compiled a 74-58 record and advanced to the postseason on two occasions, including the 2011 NCAA Tournament. In 2013-14, he was part of a staff that saw the Tigers improve their overall record by 10 wins and advance to the semifinals of the NIT.
In his first season at Clemson in 2010-11, Bender was an important part of the staff that led the Tigers to a 22-12 final record. Clemson was the No. 4 seed in the ACC Tournament with a 9-7 record. The Tigers advanced to the NCAA Tournament for a record fourth straight season and won their first-round game over UAB, 70-52, in Dayton, Ohio.
Bender began his collegiate coaching career at DePauw in 1987 under the late Royce Waltman. He helped the Division III Tigers to an outstanding four-year overall record of 80-30 and to a national runner-up finish in the 1990 NCAA Tournament. One of the players he coached was Brad Brownell.
After his stint with DePauw, Bender served as an assistant coach under former Clemson assistant Ron Bradley at Radford from 1991-97. The Highlanders compiled the top conference record and non-conference record of all the teams in the Big South during Bender’s six seasons with the program.
Bender was reunited with Waltman as part of the staff at Indiana State and coached with the Sycamores for 10 seasons from 1997-07. He helped ISU to consecutive 20-win seasons and NCAA Tournament appearances in 1999-00 and 2000-01. The Sycamores went on to upset No. 4 seed Oklahoma, 70-68, in the first round of the 2001 NCAA Tournament.
The native of Grantsville, Md., graduated from Western Maryland in 1986 and earned a master’s degree from DePauw in 1989. He was a two-year letterman and team MVP at Western Maryland. He was third in the nation in 1985-86 in free throw accuracy for Division III players with a 91 percent clip.
Bender and his wife, Beth, have two sons, Dalton and Dillon.
Matt Bucklin
Director of Operations
Matt Bucklin enters his fourth season on the Clemson men’s basketball staff as director of operations. Bucklin served as Georgia’s operations coordinator for the previous four seasons after serving two years as a graduate assistant on former Bulldog head coach Mark Fox’s staff.
The Tigers have made two postseasons during Bucklin’s tenure: the 2021 NCAA Tournament and 2019 NIT (there was no postseason in 2020).
The Marietta, Ga., native served as a graduate assistant with the Bulldogs for two seasons from 2012-14 and was then promoted to operations coordinator in July 2014. Bucklin directed a number of tasks, including coordinating players’ day-to-day schedules and their academic performance, as well as assisting with the program’s on-campus recruiting efforts, summer camps and community outreach.
Bucklin played four seasons (2009-12) for Georgia as a reserve point guard. He originally joined the team as a walk-on before being awarded a scholarship for his junior and senior seasons. Bucklin played in 26 contests during his career and earned his first career start for the Bulldogs in his final home game of his senior season against South Carolina.
During his playing career, Bucklin earned a number of accolades for his work off the court. Most prominent among them included being a four-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll, a member of the 2012 SEC Community Service team for men’s basketball and a 2012 member of the UGA Student-Athlete Advisory Council.
Bucklin is married to the former Morgan Wietzke, and are the proud parents of their daughter Blair.
Justin McClelland
Director of Basketball Strength and Conditioning
Justin McClelland was hired as director of men’s basketball strength and conditioning at Clemson University on August 18, 2020. He enters his second season on staff in 2021-22.
McClelland arrived in Clemson with a vast array of experience in the field, immediately after spending the previous two seasons working with the Florida Gators women’s basketball, women’s tennis and women’s golf programs.
In his first season with the program, the Tigers finished 16-8, including a 10-6 mark in league play to advance to the program’s 13th NCAA Tournament. The Tigers’ 10 league victories ties for the second-most in program history and their 11-1 mark at home is a top five winning percentage in Clemson history.
In McClelland’s first season in Tigertown, Clemson finished a COVID-19 shortened season with 16 wins, including 10 in the ACC and 11 at home. The Tigers advanced to its 13th NCAA Tournament after finishing tied for fifth in ACC play.
The Tigers finished 11-1 at home, the fifth-best winning percentage during a season at home in Clemson history.
While at Florida, he designed and implanted year-round strength, speed and conditioning workouts, while also guiding each student-athlete through individual training programs to enhance strength as well as explosive power, speed, agility, endurance, coordination, balance and flexibility.
“Our strength and conditioning program will provide quality training and detailed coaching. What we do will be significant, but how we do it will be essential,” said McClelland. “Our goal will be to produce a mentality of resilience and a physical advantage that transfers onto the court.”
During the 2015-16 season, McClelland served as an assistant strength and conditioning coach with the men’s basketball program. He assisted in the development and implementation of year-long periodization sport specific training/conditioning programs for men’s basketball, tennis and golf programs.
Prior to his time in Gainesville, McClelland served as an assistant for one season with the East Carolina men’s basketball program (2016-17), one season with the Villanova men’s basketball program (2014-15) and also served as an intern during the spring of 2011, director of strength and conditioning at Germantown Academy (2013-15), Eastern University (Spring of 2013, 2014).
McClelland graduated with his B.S. in exercise science in 2011 from Eastern University, while earning his M.S. in exercise science and health promotion with a concentration in performance enhancement and injury prevention from California University of Pennsylvania in 2015.
McClelland is originally from Naugatuck, Conn. He is married to his wife Joanna and they reside in nearby Pendleton.
Lucas McKay
Director of Recruiting
Lucas McKay returns for his 10th season with the men’s basketball program in 2021-22, his second overall as director of recruiting. McKay spent the previous two seasons as an assistant coach at UMKC. Prior to that, McKay spent the 2018-19 season as director of recruiting and four seasons as director of operations. McKay assumed that promotion in 2014 after serving as Clemson’s video coordinator for four seasons.
In four seasons as director of operations, McKay has helped the Tigers to a 45 ACC regular season wins, including a school record 11 in 2017-18.
That season, the Tigers turned in a banner year for the program with 25 wins and a trip to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. The Tigers finished tied for third in the ACC after being picked to finished 13th by the media in the preseason poll. The 25 wins were tied for the most in program history.
Clemson’s 2013-14 team reached a 10-win improvement over the previous season, finishing 23-13 overall and 10-8 in ACC play. The Tigers led the nation in three-point percentage defense (.285) and were ranked among the NCAA top 10 in scoring defense (58.4 ppg) and blocks per game (6.1).
In 2011-12, the Tigers were 16-15 overall, but rallied to an 8-8 conference record. It was Clemson’s fifth straight season at .500 or better in ACC play, a program record. The Tigers knocked off three eventual NCAA Tournament foes, including Sweet 16 participant NC State, during the 2011-12 season.
McKay was an important part of the Tiger staff in 2010-11, when Clemson compiled a 22-12 overall record and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for a record fourth straight season. The Tigers were 9-7 in the ACC and earned a first-round bye in the ACC Tournament by virtue of being the No. 4 seed in the conference. Clemson also won its first NCAA Tournament game in 14 years in 2011 when the Tigers knocked off UAB, 70-52, in Dayton, Ohio, as part of the “First Four” round.
McKay first worked under Brownell as a student manager at UNC Wilmington from 2003-06. He was a manager on Brownell’s last team at UNC Wilmington, the 2005-06 squad that went 25-8 and won the Colonial Athletic Association championship en route to an NCAA Tournament appearance. The Seahawks compiled a 59-33 record while McKay was a manager with the team.
McKay earned his undergraduate degree in political science from UNC Wilmington in December 2006. He has worked several regional and national camps, including ones at Clemson, as a coach and administrator. After graduation, he spent one year as an assistant coach at Harrells Christian Academy before rejoining Brownell at Wright State in 2007.
He worked as an administrative assistant under Brownell at Wright State. In three seasons with the Raider program, Brownell’s teams put together an overall record of 61-35. McKay oversaw the day-to-day organization of the basketball office. His duties included supervision of the managerial staff, organizing recruiting mailouts, arranging travel and video editing. He earned his master’s degree in student affairs in higher education from Wright State in June 2009.
McKay is married to the former Lindsay Martin of Newton, N.C. They have a son, Ethan, and daughter, Emerson.
Terrell McIntyre
Director of Player Development
Former Clemson Hall of Fame basketball player Terrell McIntyre joined Brad Brownell’s staff as Director of Player Development prior to the 2017-18 season and enters his second season heading into 2018-19.
In McIntyre’s first season on staff the Tigers earned its first NCAA Sweet 16 bid since his playing days in 1997. In 2017-18, the Tigers tied a program record with 25 victories and earned a new program record 11 wins in ACC play en route to the Sweet 16.
“We are excited to have Terrell back on campus as a significant member of our staff in this new position,” said Brownell. “Terrell is among the greatest players in our history and sets a terrific example for our current players and players we will be recruiting. We see his role similar to the role Jeff Davis serves in our football program.”
McIntyre played for the Tigers from 1995-99 and was a three-time All-ACC guard. He played on three NCAA Tournament teams, including the 1997 team that advanced to the Sweet 16 and finished with a program best No. 8 national ranking in the USA Today poll. His senior year when he led the ACC in scoring, Clemson won 20 games and reached the finals of the NIT.
McIntyre ranks second in Clemson history in career scoring (1,839 ), second in three-point goals (259), third in assists (577) and fourth in steals (194). He was a four-time team MVP or Co-MVP. He was inducted into the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007, and was named to the program’s 100-Year Anniversary team in 2012.
McIntyre went on to a 12-year professional career in Europe. Over his career he played on four Italian League Championship teams that won the Italian Cup Championship in 2009 and 2010. He was the MVP of the Italian League in 2007 and 2009.
The native of Raeford, N.C. also made the All-Euroleague first-team in 2007 and 2009. Three times he was the MVP of the Italian League Finals (2008-09-10). His number-five was retired by Montepaschi Siena of the Italian League, just the third number retired by that franchise.
He returned to Clemson after the conclusion of his playing career and graduated from Clemson in May of 2015.
“When Coach Brownell called me I jumped at the chance to come back to Clemson,” said McIntyre. “This program has done so much for me, and Clemson is a place I love. Coach Brownell has been terrific and I am glad to be back on campus with the Clemson basketball family.”
Jeff Reynolds
Special Assistant to the Head Coach
Bringing an impressive coaching background that spans nearly 40 years and includes three head coaching stints, most recently at Air Force, Jeff Reynolds joins the Clemson Basketball staff as special assistant to Head Coach Brad Brownell.
During his storied career, Reynolds spent nine seasons as a collegiate head coach at Air Force, Wingate and NC Wesleyan, compiling 145 wins with three conference championships and a trio of postseason tournament appearances.
Reynolds spent four seasons working at Virginia Tech where he served as the Director of Scouting/Game Management during the 2017-18 campaign following three years as Director of Men’s Basketball Operations. During the last three seasons, the Hokies averaged 21 wins per season while posting back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances.
Before Virginia Tech, Reynolds spent two seasons on the men’s basketball staff at Marquette as the Director of Operations, helping guide the Eagles to the Elite Eight during the 2013 NCAA Tournament.
Reynolds served for five seasons (2007-12) as the head coach at Air Force, where he guided the Falcons to a postseason appearance in the 2011 CollegeInsider.com Tournament. Prior to taking over the head coaching duties at Air Force, Reynolds served as an assistant coach at the Academy under current Houston Rockets assistant Jeff Bzdelik for two seasons during which the Falcons were one of just 17 teams in NCAA Division I to win at least 50 games total.
Reynolds arrived at the Academy after serving as an assistant coach at Tulane for five seasons (2000-05). During his time at Tulane, Reynolds coached Linton Johnson, who played in the NBA for six seasons.
Prior to his stint at Tulane, Reynolds held the position of head coach at Division II Wingate University in Wingate, N.C., where he logged an impressive 61-27 record in three seasons. While at Wingate, he coached Lorenzo “Junior” Harrington who went on to play three seasons in the NBA for Denver, New Orleans and Memphis.
In those three seasons, Reynolds built the program into a Division II powerhouse. In 1999-2000, his team led the nation in scoring defense and posted an impressive 26-4 record, closing the year with a final national ranking of No. 7 and a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
In 1998-99, Reynolds guided Wingate to its first NCAA Tournament bid, as well as its first national ranking, and the Bulldogs closed that season with a 23-6 mark as Reynolds earned South Atlantic Conference Coach of the Year honors.
As the top assistant coach at his alma mater, UNC-Greensboro, from 1995-97, Reynolds helped the program to the 1996 Big South Championship and a bid to the 1996 NCAA Tournament.
From 1990-94, Reynolds served as the top assistant at UNC-Wilmington, helping the Seahawks to Colonial Athletic Association Most Improved Team honors in 1992.
As an assistant at Winthrop (1986-90), he was directly involved in the team’s transition from Division II to Division I, and, in 1988, the school captured the Big South Conference Championship.
He logged one year as the head coach of North Carolina Wesleyan College leading the program to a 21-7 mark and the 1986 Dixie Conference Championship.
Reynolds began his college coaching career at James Madison University in 1981, serving as a part-time assistant for a team which won 24 games and advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 1982. He went on to Division II power Randolph-Macon College, which reeled off three straight NCAA Tournament appearances and earned a No. 4 national ranking in the final poll of 1984.
He spent time in the high school ranks, coaching three years at Carroll County High School in Hillsville, Va., the first two years as assistant coach before being promoted to the head coaching position in his final season.
Reynolds is married to the former Janet Montgomery.
Amit Tailor
Video Coordinator
Amit Tailor enters his fifth season as video coordinator for men’s basketball in 2021-22. He carries several years of experience to the position, including stints with Santa Clara and Florida men’s basketball.
During his tenure at Clemson, the Tigers have won over 90 games and advanced to three postseason tournaments, including two NCAA Tournaments (2018, 2021) and a Sweet 16 in 2018.
Tailor got his start in basketball through various roles with the Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks in 2012, before landing an assistant video coordinator position with Billy Donovan’s Florida Gators in August 2013.
Tailor was responsible for coaches film breakdown for two seasons in Gainesville, helping Florida to a Final Four berth in 2014. He then spent the 2015-16 season as video assistant & analytics coordinator at Santa Clara. Most recently, Tailor was video coordinator for Ole Miss women’s basketball over the summer of 2016.
He has extensive experience with USA Basketball, assisting with analytics, film breakdown, drills and day to day operations since June 2014.
Tailor earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Illinois in 2008, and a master’s degree from Yale University in 2010.
Tailor is married to the former Rekha Wadhwa.
Brad Crowe
Athletic Trainer
POSITION: Athletic Trainer
Brad Crowe enters his sixth season as the athletic trainer for men’s basketball at Clemson in 2021-22. He joined Brad Brownell’s staff over the summer of 2016.
During his tenure at Clemson, the Tigers have won over 90 games and advanced to three postseason tournaments, including two NCAA Tournaments (2018, 2021) and a Sweet 16 in 2018.
Crowe joined the Tigers after four years at Mercer University in Macon, Ga., where he worked with men’s and women’s cross country and track & field in addition to his men’s basketball responsibilities.
During his time at Mercer, the Bears made four postseason appearances, including a trip to the 2014 NCAA Tournament. That season, Mercer knocked off Duke by a score of 78-71 in the second round of the tournament.
Crowe spent two years as a graduate assistant athletic trainer at Louisiana Tech University from 2010-12, where his primary job involved working with men’s basketball. He earned a master’s degree in May 2012 in kinesiology and sports performance. Crowe earned his bachelor’s degree in movement science from Grand Valley State University in Michigan in May 2010.
Crowe is a certified member of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) and is a CPR/AED professional rescuer.