Report: Clemson's Brad Brownell Finalizing New 6-Year Contract Ahead of March Madness

Clemson is finalizing a six-year contract extension with men's basketball coach Brad Brownell, according to CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein and ESPN's Pete Thamel.

The Tigers posted a 27-6 record in the regular season and tied for the second-best record in ACC play (18-2). They're also a year removed from making the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1980.

Wednesday's news comes after Rick Bozich of WDRB in Louisville, Kentucky, reported Brownell was garnering interest from Indiana.

The Hoosiers ultimately poached Darian DeVries from West Virginia, but Brownell's work at Clemson was clearly being noticed outside of the program. Giving him a pay raise will help to fend off the next school that has the 56-year-old on its radar.

The Tigers' recent success is a prime example of how patience can be rewarded for a head coach who may not be delivering tangible results.

Clemson reached the NCAA tournament in Brownell's first year (2010-11) and upset fifth-seeded West Virginia in the first round. It wasn't until 2017-18 that they were back in the Big Dance, and they subsequently missed three of the next four installments.

Now, Brownell appears to have laid a foundation for the Tigers to remain a steady contender in the ACC.

A drop is probably inevitable next year considering Clemson's top four scorers are all seniors. Four-star combo guard Zac Foster is arriving, though, and the coaching staff will have the transfer portal to get some immediate reinforcements.

Brownell is already the most tenured coach in Tigers history with 487 games under his belt, and his 292 wins are more than 100 ahead of Cliff Ellis in second place.

This extension will give him more than two decades on the sideline in Clemson and allow him to leave a sizable legacy.