By Will Vandervort.

By Will Vandervort

CLEMSON — In the back of the team-meeting room at the McFadden Building Monday afternoon, Clemson men’s basketball coach Brad Brownell stood by himself for the most part and listened to the message new athletic director Dan Radakovich told the media during his press conference announcing his hiring as Terry Don Phillips replacement.

Brownell admitted he was a little nervous to see who President James Barker might bring in as the new athletic director, though he knew Barker and the search committee would do a great job.

“I’m familiar with Dan and we have met a couple of times and had discussions,” Brownell said. “He is a terrific guy and he is a guy who has done some terrific things. I think he brings a wealth of experience. He has been in a lot of different kinds of universities. He has been a mid-major AD at American. He has been an AD at Georgia Tech in the ACC and the number two in command at two schools in the SEC.

“I think the experience he has will help him adjust to this situation.”

And what is the situation at Clemson? The basketball program and IPTAY’s Major Gift Team is in the middle of multi-million dollar capital campaign in hopes to add two new practice facilities as well as locker rooms and coaches’ offices for both the men’s and women’s programs.

Brownell was particularly interested in what Radakovich said when he was asked about the basketball campaign at Clemson.  At Georgia Tech, Radakovich was widely acclaimed for upgrading the facilities, including a new indoor football practice facility, softball stadium, tennis complex and the renovation of Alexander Memorial Coliseum, which will re-open in the next few weeks.

During his time at South Carolina, Radakovich was also a key cog in building the Colonial Center.

“Certainly it’s exciting for me to have an athletic director who understands you need first class facilities for your student athletes and coaches if you are going to be successful,” Brownell said. “The fact that he has gone through the whole process of raising money and designing facilities in both a practice facility and an arena, that’s really exciting for me.

“We obviously need some help in our (basketball) facilities here. We have been doing some good work and raising some money, but a cause of concern for me was, ‘What was going to happen with the change?’ I’m very optimistic with Dan’s leadership and help. We are going to keep this thing moving in the right direction.”

Though the football program is in good shape from a facility standpoint, Dabo Swinney hopes Radakovich continues with the improvements that have made Clemson relevant in football again.

“I’m excited about moving forward with Dan and getting to know him,” Swinney said. “He has a wealth of experience. He has been to a lot of places and has worked with a lot of great people so that’s a positive.”

Radakovich says he is excited to see the plans Clemson has in place for not just the basketball and football programs, but for all the sports programs at Clemson.

“I think it is important to have the practice facilities,” he said. “At Georgia Tech, it was important to build the practice facility before you did the major renovation to the building. I think here, the building is in great shape, now we just have to give our basketball staffs the chance to have a great practice facility.

“People talk a lot about the arms race in recruiting. Sometimes, it’s not what you have, but what you don’t have. We want to make sure each one of those perspective student athletes check the box and say, ‘Clemson not only has a great education, but it is in a great place in the world and they have all the things that will allow me to be the best student athlete that I can be.’”

What more can a coach ask for out of his athletic director?

“Clemson, as we all know, is a unique place,” Swinney said. “Even if you have been here, it takes a little while to really navigate Clemson and get to know it. His familiarity with this conference, and being on the outside looking in, will help him.

“As he said, he has followed (Clemson) for a long time. I think he is a great fit and I look forward to working with him.”