Brad Brownell to speak at UNCW Basketball tip-off dinner

WILMINGTON, North Carolina (UNCWSports.com) – Former UNCW men’s basketball coach and current Clemson skipper Brad Brownell is returning to the Port City in late September as the keynote speaker for UNCW’s third annual men’s basketball tip-off dinner.

The event is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 20, 2018, at the Burney Center. Ticket information will be announced later. All proceeds for the 6 p.m. dinner will benefit UNCW men’s basketball.

“The banquet is a great night for UNCW basketball,” said C.B. McGrath, UNCW’s second-year head coach. “It’s our most important preseason event because it’s the biggest fundraising opportunity of the year.

“We’re fortunate to have Brad join us as guest speaker. He did a terrific job as head coach at UNCW and is coming off his most successful season at Clemson. We’re proud of him and his success, and we hope the Wilmington community will make plans to show their support of Brad and the Seahawks.”

An Evansville, Ind., native, Brownell headed up the UNCW program for four seasons from 2002-06 and compiled an 83-40 record, capturing two Colonial Athletic Association championships and a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances. He averaged 20.8 victories over his four years on the coast.

Brownell directed the Seahawks to a 24-7 record in his head coaching debut in 2002-03 and nearly upset Maryland in the NCAA Tournament before falling in Nashville, Tenn. He was named CAA Coach-of-the-Year as the Seahawks became the first team in 12 seasons to win back-to-back conference titles.

Brownell turned in one of the best coaching efforts in the nation in 2004-05. Tabbed to finish sixth in the CAA’s preseason poll, UNCW tied for second place and wound up 19-10, earning the up-and-coming coach runner-up honors for the league’s top coaching honor.

Brownell then piloted the Seahawks to another CAA crown and NCAA berth in 2005-06 with a 25-8 record, earning him CAA Coach-of-the-Year accolades for the second time.

Following a four-year stint at Wright State, Brownell took over the Clemson program in 2010-11 and has become the third winningest men’s basketball coach in Clemson history. He directed the Tigers to the Sweet Sixteen of the 2018 NCAA Tournament, matching the Clemson record for single season wins with a 25-10 mark.

Brownell, who has taken the Tigers to a pair of NCAA Tournaments (2011 & 2018), has coached five All-ACC selections and is the winningest coach in Clemson history against ACC competition.

ESPN analyst Seth Greenberg (2016) and North Carolina Hall of Fame Coach Roy Williams (2017) served as the guest speakers for the first two banquets.

For more information, contact the Seahawk Club at seahawkclub@uncw.edu.