SATURDAY DAN RADAKOVICH UPDATE
By: Larry Williams
Quite a lot still to unpack after a wild Friday evening of reports that Dan Radakovich was set to take the Miami AD job.
Though some sources within the Clemson bubble are saying it's a done deal, we still aren't ready to go that far based on our latest information and analysis of what we're picking up. Bottom line, our sources closest to the situation are insisting it's not done and we're trusting that.
But it's definitely safe to say Radakovich is in the midst of serious negotiations with the Hurricanes, who are trying to get back into the big-time football game after having spent the better part of the last two decades languishing.
For a while we've thought the only way Radakovich leaves Clemson is if it's for a conference-commissioner job. His name was an obvious one when the ACC was looking for a replacement for John Swofford, but to us it appeared Clemson president Jim Clements was the more serious candidate before backing out (the ACC hired Northwestern AD Jim Phillips).
Clemson athletics director Dan Radakovich is shown here in San Jose, Calif. in January of 2019. (Getty)
Two years ago, Southern California approached Radakovich after Lynn Swann resigned as AD. Radakovich backed out of conversations for that job in part because his wife, Marcie, wasn't interested in going across the country and living in Los Angeles.
Also around that time, Texas A&M's AD job was open and the Aggies pursued Radakovich. Jimbo Fisher, with whom Radakovich worked at LSU when Nick Saban was coach, even participated in the full-court press by calling Radakovich and telling him to come to College Station.
The Miami opportunity, however, presents a much more attractive situation and not just because of the obviously significant detail of his salary being more than doubled to a range approaching $3 million.
Radakovich earned his MBA from Miami. That's where he met his wife. It's also where he was around Howard Schnellenberger and Jimmy Johnson as the Hurricanes football program reached dynastic heights.
And now Miami is apparently determined to get back what it once had, which appears to include construction of a new on-campus football stadium after the logistical mess of playing 20 miles away from Coral Gables in Hard Rock Stadium.
Someone who knew Radakovich well when he was at Georgia Tech reached out last night when the news broke of his candidacy at Miami.
"Dan always wanted to go to Miami and thought he would end his career there. He talked about it as far back as 2009."
Very interesting.
On the whole, Radakovich's tenure at Clemson has been an unmistakable success. After taking over for Terry Don Phillips in 2012 he oversaw a facilities boom that dramatically transformed Clemson's athletics infrastructure across the board and made him one of the most respected ADs in the industry.
But the last year has not been easy for Radakovich as a result of his initial decision in November of 2020 to cancel the men's track and field team. There was dissent, far from unanimous but still strong, at the highest levels of the university from people who thought the decision too hasty. But the worst part was the Title IX lawsuit that followed. Radakovich reinstated the track program, but the fallout from the lawsuit continues and several people we spoke with called it "a mess" as Clemson tries to address various areas of complying with gender equity.
This is certainly not to say Radakovich is being chased away from Clemson. In fact, one higher-up who strongly disagreed with the decision to cancel track conveyed high satisfaction with Radakovich's overall body of work and expressed a strong desire for him to remain instead of going to Miami.
If he does take the job, as we've reported, deputy AD Graham Neff would be the likely replacement. But over the last few days we've picked up word that Louisville considers Neff a candidate to replace AD Vince Tyra if indeed Tyra takes the Florida State AD job.
If Radakovich goes to Miami, the decision would be easy for Neff if he were presented with the choice between Clemson and Louisville (it'd be the former by a mile).
And we think the chances are good Neff would prefer to remain at Clemson even if Radakovich stays; Louisville is an attractive job but that athletics department is dealing with a bunch of problems right now.
We'll certainly keep you all posted as we learn more on this developing story.
From THE TIGER FAN SHOP: Happy Holidays! Click HERE for more marked-down officially-licensed CLEMSON gear!
By: Larry Williams
Quite a lot still to unpack after a wild Friday evening of reports that Dan Radakovich was set to take the Miami AD job.
Though some sources within the Clemson bubble are saying it's a done deal, we still aren't ready to go that far based on our latest information and analysis of what we're picking up. Bottom line, our sources closest to the situation are insisting it's not done and we're trusting that.
But it's definitely safe to say Radakovich is in the midst of serious negotiations with the Hurricanes, who are trying to get back into the big-time football game after having spent the better part of the last two decades languishing.
For a while we've thought the only way Radakovich leaves Clemson is if it's for a conference-commissioner job. His name was an obvious one when the ACC was looking for a replacement for John Swofford, but to us it appeared Clemson president Jim Clements was the more serious candidate before backing out (the ACC hired Northwestern AD Jim Phillips).
Clemson athletics director Dan Radakovich is shown here in San Jose, Calif. in January of 2019. (Getty)
Two years ago, Southern California approached Radakovich after Lynn Swann resigned as AD. Radakovich backed out of conversations for that job in part because his wife, Marcie, wasn't interested in going across the country and living in Los Angeles.
Also around that time, Texas A&M's AD job was open and the Aggies pursued Radakovich. Jimbo Fisher, with whom Radakovich worked at LSU when Nick Saban was coach, even participated in the full-court press by calling Radakovich and telling him to come to College Station.
The Miami opportunity, however, presents a much more attractive situation and not just because of the obviously significant detail of his salary being more than doubled to a range approaching $3 million.
Radakovich earned his MBA from Miami. That's where he met his wife. It's also where he was around Howard Schnellenberger and Jimmy Johnson as the Hurricanes football program reached dynastic heights.
And now Miami is apparently determined to get back what it once had, which appears to include construction of a new on-campus football stadium after the logistical mess of playing 20 miles away from Coral Gables in Hard Rock Stadium.
Someone who knew Radakovich well when he was at Georgia Tech reached out last night when the news broke of his candidacy at Miami.
"Dan always wanted to go to Miami and thought he would end his career there. He talked about it as far back as 2009."
Very interesting.
On the whole, Radakovich's tenure at Clemson has been an unmistakable success. After taking over for Terry Don Phillips in 2012 he oversaw a facilities boom that dramatically transformed Clemson's athletics infrastructure across the board and made him one of the most respected ADs in the industry.
But the last year has not been easy for Radakovich as a result of his initial decision in November of 2020 to cancel the men's track and field team. There was dissent, far from unanimous but still strong, at the highest levels of the university from people who thought the decision too hasty. But the worst part was the Title IX lawsuit that followed. Radakovich reinstated the track program, but the fallout from the lawsuit continues and several people we spoke with called it "a mess" as Clemson tries to address various areas of complying with gender equity.
This is certainly not to say Radakovich is being chased away from Clemson. In fact, one higher-up who strongly disagreed with the decision to cancel track conveyed high satisfaction with Radakovich's overall body of work and expressed a strong desire for him to remain instead of going to Miami.
If he does take the job, as we've reported, deputy AD Graham Neff would be the likely replacement. But over the last few days we've picked up word that Louisville considers Neff a candidate to replace AD Vince Tyra if indeed Tyra takes the Florida State AD job.
If Radakovich goes to Miami, the decision would be easy for Neff if he were presented with the choice between Clemson and Louisville (it'd be the former by a mile).
And we think the chances are good Neff would prefer to remain at Clemson even if Radakovich stays; Louisville is an attractive job but that athletics department is dealing with a bunch of problems right now.
We'll certainly keep you all posted as we learn more on this developing story.
From THE TIGER FAN SHOP: Happy Holidays! Click HERE for more marked-down officially-licensed CLEMSON gear!
