BOSTON — Clemson University men’s basketball Head Coach Brad Brownell was named as a finalist for the 2023 Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year award, announced by CollegeInsider.com on Tuesday.
The Jim Phelan Award, which is presented annually to the nation’s top Division I coach, is named in honor of the legendary coach who spent his entire career at Mount Saint Mary’s University.
Brownell, now in his 13th season at Clemson, led the Tigers to a 22-9 overall record, including a program-best 14 ACC wins to finish in a tie for third in the ACC. The Tigers finished 15-1 at home and won nine league games by double-digits – the most in the ACC this season.
With a 14-6 mark in the ACC, the Tigers are the third team in Clemson history to win 70.0 percent of its league games, joining the 10-4 teams of 1986-87 and 1989-90.
Clemson won its first seven ACC games this season to tie a school record for consecutive league games at any point in the regular season. It also won 11-straight ACC games over two years (last four of 2021-22 and first seven this year) – an all-time Clemson record for consecutive wins over ACC teams by four (won seven in 1966-67).
For the ninth time in his tenure, Brownell coached the Tigers to a finish higher than preseason expectations. Clemson was picked to finish 11th and tied for third. Clemson has finished higher in final standings than preseason prediction nine times in 13 years.
The recipient of the 2023 award will be announced in March, in Houston, at the site of the men’s NCAA Basketball Championship.
The Tigers open the ACC Tournament on Thursday, March 9 at 9:30 p.m. on ESPN or ESPN2. Clemson will face the winner of NC State vs. Virginia Tech/Notre Dame.
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