College basketball is a never-ending battle for coaches and Brad Brownell took time to point out where he stands.

The introduction of NIL and the evolution of the transfer portal puts extra pressure on every program to raise their game. Clemson is no exception, and even after an Elite Eight run, there’s some going after the Tigers.

On an appearance with Road Rage with Walt Deptula, Brownell sounded off on what he’s dealt with since the season’s end.

“It’s shark infested water right now, I’m not going to lie to you. We already know that there are coaches and AAU guys that are working on our guys behind the scenes, their families and trying to take them away from us. It’s a whole different world,” Brownell said.

Clemson has lost two players to the transfer portal in Josh Beadle and Jack Clark. Brownell wasn’t bringing up specifics, but it’s clear that his program has to battle outside impact. He believes it’s why there’s so much fluidity in coaching today.

“This is what’s driving the coaches out of the business. You get done with your season, and this is part of the job you don’t like the most. Who still wants to be with you, how do you build your roster, how do you plan. Let alone recruit guys out of the portal, you’re just trying to convince some of your guys to stay and that’s hard because there’s money involved,” Brownell said.

The “no guardrails” is what frustrates Brownell and other coaches in the current landscape. On top of the money, he noted the negative recruiting. It’s got to a point that keeping seven players is a success according to Brownell.

Regarding Clemson specifically, there’s still a lot to be ironed out for next season’s squad. With pro decisions and Brownell’s success in the portal, the Tigers could look very different after a deep NCAA Tournament run.

Photo courtesy of The Commercial Appeal