CLEMSON, S.C. – The athletic department is taking shape under Clemson Director of Athletics Graham Neff, who announced the addition of Kevin White as Deputy Director of Athletics on Tuesday. The hire was approved by the Board of Trustees Compensation Committee. White will assist in running the day-to-day operations of the department as the second in command, filling the position vacated upon Neff’s promotion to AD. White’s role will take on a great deal of responsibility, focused on internal operations, interfacing with key campus and leadership stakeholders, and serving as the sport administrator for the three-time national champion football program.
“I’ve known Kevin and his family for a long time, and I am beyond thrilled to welcome Kevin, Jari and their children to the Clemson Family,” said Neff, who was named AD in December. “His combination of experience at Northwestern, Georgia State and SMU is a clear differentiator, and he is as well-respected an administrator as he is a person. Our values line up incredibly well – His experience at another prominent academic institution is extremely valuable, and he is a great fit with our leadership team. Kevin is going to make an immediate and long-lasting impact on Clemson Athletics.”
“My family and I are thrilled to come to Clemson and I am grateful to President Clements, Max Allen and Graham Neff for their trust in me,” said White. “The alignment at Clemson is special, and I believe in the direction of this department under Graham’s leadership. I’ve had the chance to work alongside tremendous mentors, including sitting ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips and Northwestern AD Derrick Gragg, among others, and I’m thankful for their guidance and friendship.”
Most recently, White has served at Northwestern as Deputy AD and Chief Operating Officer, where he oversaw a $110 million operating budget. He successfully coordinated nearly $450 million in capital project facility financing, managed department contract negotiations, advised on head coach staffing decisions, and collaborated on department strategy under Phillips and Gragg.
During his tenure at Northwestern, he served as a sport administrator for football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball and men’s soccer. During that time, the football program experienced two Big Ten West Championships in three years, and the women’s basketball team won a Big Ten Conference Championship in 2019-2020. While at SMU, the men’s basketball program went 82-17 (including a 50-3 home record) which is the best three-year span in school history.
His involvement has also included integral engagement with fundraising groups, developing a multimedia rights strategy, and several other initiatives to increase revenue.
White’s engagements outside of the department included positions on the Big Ten basketball working groups, the administrative council, as well as numerous other leadership committees at the Big Ten and LEAD1.
The Chattanooga, Tennessee native earned a bachelor of arts degree from North Carolina, where he was a member of the junior varsity basketball team. He also earned a master’s degree at Georgia State and an MBA at Kennesaw State. He and his wife Jari have three children, Justin, Kamden and Kinley.
