Where Brad Brownell Ranks Among ACC Coaches

After a third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, one thing has never been clearer.

Clemson Tigers head coach Brad Brownell belongs in the conversation of the best coaches in the ACC.

For years, Brownell faced criticism from both his own fanbase and national pundits, who questioned if the program could take the next step. It has done just that, thanks to Brownell’s leadership. An Elite Eight run in the 2024 NCAA Tournament redefined what was possible at a place like Clemson.

With plenty of coaching turnover around the ACC, where does the Tigers’ leader stack up?

For this exercise, I categorized the coaches based on their future outlook at their schools, prior success (including success at other programs), consistency, recruiting strength, and in-game strategy.

Tier 1 - Elite

Jon Scheyer, Duke

Ryan Odom, Virginia

Scheyer and Odom met in the finals of the ACC Tournament this past season, and are the clear top dogs in the conference. Despite stepping into the shoes of an all-time legend, Scheyer has raised the Blue Devils to a perennial national title contender.

Odom took just one season to catapult UVA back to national relevancy, and then some. The Cavaliers capped off a 30-6 season with a No. 3 seed and Round of 32 berth in the NCAA Tournament. Throw in the success that Odom has had at UMBC, Utah State, and VCU, and it’s clear that he is a top 10 coach in all of college basketball.

Tier 2 - Great

Jai Lucas, Miami

Pat Kelsey, Louisville

Brad Brownell, Clemson

This second tier is where Brownell sits. Lucas and Kelsey have engineered remarkable turnarounds from the moment they stepped onto their respective campuses. Brownell has made Clemson a consistent NCAA Tournament team, earning berths in the Big Dance for three straight years. The 2024 Elite Eight run set a new standard for the program, and the team has continued to build on that momentum.

Tier 3 - Good/Solid

Steve Forbes, Wake Forest

Andy Enfield, SMU

Mike Young, Virginia Tech

Kyle Smith, Stanford

Luke Loucks, Florida State

Of this group, Loucks is the talk of many ACC fans despite leading FSU for just one season. The Seminoles responded to a difficult start in conference play, winning 11 of their final 15 games to earn some national buzz. Forbes and Young are strong coaches in their own right, but are at programs with more limited resources for basketball. Enfield and Smith were both on the NCAA Tournament bubble in 2025-26 and need to take the next step to advance these rankings.

Tier 4 - Middle Tier

Jeff Capel, Pittsburgh

Micah Shrewsberry, Notre Dame

Both Capel and Shrewsberry are in prove-it situations at their respective schools. Capel was retained for mostly financial reasons, according to reports. Many Panther fans expected new athletic director Allen Greene to dismiss Capel after eight seasons, but Pitt decided to retain its leader and pour more resources into the 2026-27 roster.

Shrewsberry enters his fourth season in South Bend, still searching for a postseason appearance. Despite leading Penn State to the Round of 32 in 2023, his time at what he called a dream job has not been fruitful. 2026-27 will be a pivotal year to determine whether Shrewsberry is the right man to lead the Fighting Irish forward.

Tier 5 - Too Early To Call

Michael Malone, North Carolina

Luke Murray, Boston College

Justin Gainey, NC State

Gerry McNamara, Syracuse

Scott Cross, Georgia Tech

This tier comprises five first-year head coaches heading into next season. Of this pool, I’m highest on McNamara and Malone’s potential at Syracuse and UNC, respectively. Gainey and Murray are first-time head coaches, while Cross comes to the Flats after a highly successful seven-year tenure at Troy, where he led the Trojans to two NCAA Tournaments.

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