From the Desk of Dan Radakovich – Jan. 17, 2017

Tiger Fans,

WHAT A TIME TO BE A TIGER! … As we continue to celebrate the 2016 National Championship victory led by Head Coach Dabo Swinney and our football program, I hope each of you have enjoyed the great successes of all our athletic programs this semester. We’re so proud of the accomplishments, both on and off the field, our student-athletes recorded during the 2016 calendar year. 

From golf and baseball claiming ACC titles in the spring to football and women’s soccer winning conference championships in the fall, Tiger fans of all sports had something to cheer about.

During the fall semester, Mike Noonan’s men’s soccer team advanced to the Elite 8 and earned the No. 3 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. Eddie Radwanski’s women’s soccer program concluded a historic season in the Sweet 16, having claimed the program’s first ACC regular season title since 2000, and advancing further in the NCAA Tournament than any Clemson squad since 2006. A remarkable senior class of 13 played a critical role in building the program over their four years, and finished their Tiger careers as one of the most decorated classes in Clemson history.

The NCAA released its most recent Graduation Success Rate numbers and our athletic department tied its school record with a 91% GSR and the number ties for sixth nationally among public institutions. Five programs: men’s golf, men’s tennis, women’s soccer, women’s tennis and volleyball each recorded perfect 100 scores, while 12 of our 14 sports eclipsed the 90 percent mark.

In December, 49 student-athletes walked across the stage at Littlejohn to receive their diplomas, and 14 of those new graduates went on to play in the College Football Playoff National Championship.

As we turn our attention to our winter and spring sports, we certainly hope you’ve been able to visit the newly rebuilt Littlejohn Coliseum. Our men’s and women’s basketball teams both got off to great starts and are now into the heart of ACC play. Indoor track and field hosted its first meet on its fast, new indoor surface last weekend and both the men’s and women’s teams have a chance to accomplish some lofty goals this season. Diving closes out its home schedule this weekend with a meet against Arkansas and Houston.

Men’s tennis just began its season with a pair of wins – the first two of Head Coach John Boetsch’s career! – and women’s tennis gets started with the Duckworth Doubleheader this weekend. Baseball is just around the corner, as are men’s and women’s golf, so we hope you can join us on campus again soon and support all of our great student-athletes.

We couldn’t enjoy the successes of our programs without the tremendous support of each of our IPTAY members. And a special thank you to those who traveled along with our football team from Orlando to Phoenix and finally in Tampa. Your support was remarkable. Thank you for all you do, and GO TIGERS!

Dan Radakovich