Clemson names Graham Neff its new athletic director

Clemson is promoting from within again, naming Graham Neff the new director of athletics on Thursday.

Dan Radakovich spent nine years as Clemson’s athletic director before leaving in early December to take the same position with Miami. Neff, 38, served as interim director for most of the month before Thursday’s official promotion and was previously deputy athletic director under Radakovich.

Neff becomes the 14th director of athletics in school history. His contract will pay him $850,000 per year through June 2027, with annual raises of $50,000 to cap his salary at $1.05 million in the final year of the deal. He will receive a $30,000 signing bonus.

“Graham, as you all know, is well respected in his field and is considered a rising star in college athletics,” Clemson President Jim Clements said.

The promotion comes nine days after the Clemson football team named quarterbacks coach Brandon Streeter its new offensive coordinator, and defensive analyst Wes Goodwin and safeties coach Mickey Conn were promoted to be the Tigers’ co-defensive coordinators. Those internal moves followed longtime coordinators Brent Venables and Tony Elliott departing for head coaching jobs.

“Clemson has been home to my family for the past nine years, and I am grateful to President Clements and the board of trustees for their faith in us,” Neff said Thursday in a statement. “Clemson is one of the most dynamic universities in the country, with tremendous alignment through all areas of leadership. This institution will remain committed to serving our student-athletes and helping create the best opportunity to win championships. Clemson’s national profile continues to grow, and I believe the best is yet to come.”

Radakovich gave Neff his first job in athletics when Radakovich was the athletic director at Georgia Tech, where the former spent six years (2006-12). In 2013, Neff came to Clemson as the associate AD of business operations and CFO before becoming the deputy athletic director a year later.

The deputy role allowed him to work closely with Radakovich on short- and long-term planning and execution, which included overseeing more than $200 million in capital projects. Neff has also served as the sport supervisor for the football and men’s basketball programs.

Neff graduated from Georgia Tech with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering in 2006. While there, he was a manager for the men’s basketball team, which went to the Final Four in 2004. He then earned his master’s in finance from Georgia Tech in 2010.

Clements called Neff’s promotion a “five-star” hire. It wasn’t immediately known how many candidates interviewed for the position.

The public narrative has been that Neff was groomed to be Radakovich’s replacement. While Neff acknowledged that there were talks about succession planning in recent years, he said there was never a guarantee made that he would be hired for the role.

“There was a process here that was very appropriate and respected the gravity of this job and the need for Clemson always to find the best person for this job,” Neff told reporters Thursday. “For it to be an internal opportunity is flattering and exciting. ... I’m excited for it to come to fruition, but certainly no finality of that prior to today, quite frankly.”

It’s been a busy month for Clemson athletics on top of the personnel movement. Among other things, the Tigers’ men’s soccer team on Dec. 12 won its third national championship in school history. The Clemson football team faces Iowa State the 2021 Cheez-It Bowl in Orlando on Wednesday of next week.

Clemson changes in December

• Dec. 5: Brent Venables (defensive coordinator) leaves to be Oklahoma’s head coach
• Dec. 9: Dan Radakovich (athletic director) leaves to be Miami’s AD
• Dec. 10: Tony Elliot (offensive coordinator) leaves to be Virginia’s head coach
• Dec. 14: QBs coach Brandon Streeter promoted to offensive coordinator. Defensive analyst Wes Goodwin and safeties coach Mickey Conn promoted to co-defensive coordinators. Defensive line coach Todd Bates received a promotion to assistant head coach. Cornerbacks coach Mike Reed takes on special teams coordinator role. Off-field staffer Kyle Richardson promoted to tight ends coach.
• Dec. 23: Graham Neff named Clemson’s new athletic director

This story was originally published December 23, 2021 at 2:15 PM.