Brad Brownell named SI.com's Coach of the Year

Tony Crumpton by Assoc. Editor -

What a difference a year makes with Clemson Basketball.

The talented team finished the season 25-10 after making the school's first appearance in the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16 since 1997.

Sports Illustrated released their top accolades for the finished season and head coach Brad Brownell was named National Coach of the Year on Tuesday.

"Brownell seemed on shaky ground entering the fall," SI.com said. "Clemson had failed to reach the NCAA tournament in six consecutive years, and the buyout on his contract was lowered after the Tigers finished 2016–17 with a 6–12 mark in the ACC and a home loss to Oakland in the first round of the NIT. The Tigers’ decision to bring him back for 2017–18 paid off handsomely.

After being picked to finish 13th in the ACC’s preseason poll, Clemson went on to win 11 games in conference play (fewer than only Virginia and Duke), earned a No. 5 seed in the tourney and reached the Sweet 16 by handling a solid New Mexico State team in the first round and whipping No. 4 seed Auburn in the second. Not even the loss of senior frontcourt cog Donte Grantham to an ACL tear in January could derail Brownell’s remarkable turnaround."

Check out this impressive video featuring some of the coaching highlights by Brad Brownell this past season.