Brad Brownell’s phone is buzzing more than usual these days.
“I’ve got more friends than ever,” he said.
That’s because Clemson’s head men’s basketball coach suddenly has a pair of vacancies on his staff. Antonio Reynolds Dean, who spent five seasons at Clemson, was the first departure, leaving to be part of Mike White’s first coaching staff at Georgia early last week. The Clemson Insider has confirmed Kareem Richardson is also leaving after just one season on Brownell’s bench, though he’s remaining in the ACC at North Carolina State.
A day after Georgia made Reynolds Dean’s hire official, Brownell said he wasn’t surprised Reynolds Dean was courted by other programs and that Clemson tried to retain him “as best we could,” though Georgia made him an associate head coach. Brownell said that bump in title may have come with a slight pay raise, but Brownell, who said he didn’t know exactly why Reynolds Dean left, suggested the pull for the Atlanta native to be closer to home and help try to resurrect a Georgia program that won just six games a season ago was likely too much for Clemson to overcome.
“You hear through the coaching grapevine things, and you can kind of read the tea leaves,” Brownell said. “They’re going to have to get at Atlanta guy, and there’s only a couple of guys that are of Coach Dean’s stature that are from Atlanta and really connected to a lot of folks.”
Brownell has not publicly commented on Richardson’s move to N.C. State, which has yet to officially announce his hire. But Brownell said he’s heard from former head coaches, young sitting assistants and nearly every kind of coach in between hoping for an opportunity to fill those vacancies.
“There are other (coaches) that feel like they’re in a tough situation and want to go somewhere new, a fresh start. Excitement to come to the ACC,” Brownell said. “I think, a lot of people, they think we have a chance to have a good team.”
Brownell laid out what he’s looking for in his next assistants, saying he wants “a really good guy with integrity” that can coach and recruit effectively. He suggested race, age and location won’t be factors in his search.
“Be a good role model for our players and interact with our players with relationships,” Brownell said. “Does he have to be 35? Can he be 55? Does he have to be black? Does he have to be white? Does he have to be from Atlanta? Does he have to be (from somewhere else)? He’s got to be able to do his job is what he’s got to be able to do.”
As for a timetable to have those positions filled, Brownell said he doesn’t have one.
“It’s kind of exciting in some ways,” Brownell said. “It’s a little stressful for me, but that’s like an obligation to certain guys in terms of trying to help them try to continue to advance. I think sometimes people forget, too, that these coaches have families, too. So everything’s got to fit. Sometimes there are family dynamics involved in all these situations that play into account with what’s going on, but I’m in no rush right now.”