Note: The following appears in the Wofford gameday football program.
Aug. 22, 2019, was a special day for former Clemson Athletic Director Terry Don Phillips. That morning in the football team meeting room at Allen N. Reeves Football Complex, Phillips was named an honorary alumnus of Clemson University.
Over 30 of Phillips’ colleagues and friends, including former Clemson University President Jim Barker as well as current President Jim Clements and current Director of Athletics Dan Radakovich, were in attendance to honor a man who had a great impact on the Tiger football program in particular, and the athletic department and university in general.
Clemson University Alumni Association Executive Director Wil Brasington began the proceedings by stating that the organization presents this honor to employees, former or current, who did not attend Clemson, but had outstanding, long and loyal service to the university.
Brasington talked of Phillips’ impact on the department, from instituting “Solid Orange Friday” to the impact he had on countless students as a professor. How Phillips found time to teach a course is remarkable.
In competition during Phillips’ tenure, Clemson won 13 ACC championships in eight different sports, including five women’s sports. Only Virginia won more ACC championships in women’s sports during that time. There were 57 top-25 national team finishes, 37 top-20 national finishes, and 14 top-10 national finishes during his tenure.
Fifteen different sports had a top-25 finish, including six different sports that recorded a top-10 finish. Clemson went to the Final Four of national tournaments in baseball, women’s tennis and men’s soccer, and it won the 2003 national championship in men’s golf. Six different programs had a top-five national finish as well.
His biggest contribution came in his ability to recognize outstanding coaches. He hired Brad Brownell as Clemson’s men’s basketball head coach, and this year, he should become Clemson’s winningest men’s basketball coach.
However, his most important decision, one that can be directly related to the unprecedented success of the football program, was the hiring of Dabo Swinney as head coach. Swinney sat in the front row as Brasington honored the man who made him head coach even though he had never been a coordinator, a decision that brought much skepticism, both locally and nationally.
“When they make the movie (about Swinney’s life), I want Clint Eastwood to play Terry Don Phillips,” said Swinney with a laugh. “I watched his movies when I was growing up. He was tough and had courage. That is Terry Don Phillips.
“I can only imagine all the calls and emails Terry Don and President Barker received when I was hired full time, and after we had a losing season in 2010.”