Clemson assistant basketball coach linked to FBI wiretaps, mentions football program

During the college basketball corruption trial occurring this week in New York, Clemson men’s basketball assistant coach Steve Smith was linked to wiretaps from the FBI.

Smith, who has been an assistant on Brad Brownell’s staff since 2012, was on video wiretap speaking to Christian Dawkins, a former agent who has previously been found guilty for his role in paying players, and an undercover FBI agent. According to Matt Norlander, Senior Writer from CBS Sports, there was mention of an attempt to pay Zion Williamson’s family in hopes of getting the star to Clemson.

Even though this is a federal trial on the corruption of NCAA basketball, Clemson’s football program was also brought up by the Clemson assistant coach.

While continuing the conversation about Williamson's recruitment, Smith said, “that’s why football is so successful, is if you do it and use resources at Clemson, like you can really keep everything tight,” Norlander reported Thursday afternoon.

Another quote from Smith via the wiretap: “It’s a small college town … you can come to a game one night, after the game you see a dude out there in a nice looking suit, you like, ‘wait a minute now.’”

Clemson Athletics released a statement Thursday afternoon regarding what has come from the trial.

“We are aware of the developments in federal court today involving one of our men’s basketball assistant coaches,” The university said noted. “We take this matter seriously and will immediately conduct a review.”

It is interesting to note that the Clemson Board of Trustees will be meeting on Friday morning to discuss many things, including contractual changes for men’s basketball assistant coaches and football coaches. What timing.

Here are tweets from Norlander’s reporting on Thursday afternoon:

We will keep you updated on this matter as it continues.