Bryant retiring after 34 years heading AU Athletics

By Chris Rickerson | Sports editor

Clint Bryant cringed.

The director of athletics for Augusta University could not believe what his old-school eyes were seeing. A Jaguar men’s basketball player was running up and down the floor of Christenberry Fieldhouse with his jersey untucked.

For basketball coaches who came of age in the 1970s, this was a non-negotiable no-no. Normally, Bryant sits stoically in his seat on press row and shows less emotion than you might expect from an old coach, but on this Saturday afternoon his coaching persona went into action.

“Tuck your jersey in,” he yelled at the player when the Jaguar ran by during the course of play.

And that’s Bryant, who will retire from AU effective June 30, in a nutshell: Representing the university well means more than winning or losing a Peach Belt Conference game.

As AU’s athletics director, Bryant has had an outstanding career, all the way to his last academic year when two of AU’s teams, volleyball and men’s basketball, made runs at a national title.

Bryant has been the athletic director at AU for 34 years and is the longest serving AD in the country. In his time, he has overseen a successful Division II athletic program, seeing many sports at AU bring home conference, regional and even three national titles. AU men’s golf team won back-to-back NCAA Division I titles in 2010 and 2011 with a team that featured 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed, and Broc Everett did it solo for the Jaguars in 2018.

Bryant had a stellar collegiate basketball career and that led him into coaching. During his playing career, Bryant was one of the top rebounding forwards for Belmont Abbey’s basketball team from 1973-1977. He also was excellent in the classroom, receiving the Marty Thomas Scholar-Athlete Athlete Award.

Bryant, who was an assistant coach under Bill Foster at Clemson and Miami, also spent time as the head coach of basketball at AU for nine seasons (1988-1997). He led the Jaguars to three straight 17-win seasons from 1991-1994 and was named Big South Coach of the Year in the 1990-91 season.

Many of the AU coaches praised Coach Bryant and said he will be surely missed at the university.

Adam Ward, cross-country and track and field coach, thanked Bryant for giving him an opportunity to begin his coaching career at AU.

“He gave me my start in coaching,” Ward said. “He took a chance on a young man with no previous experience, and I cannot thank him enough for this opportunity.”

Ward also spoke highly of Bryant for his passion for college athletics and student athletes and hopes to see that continue with the next AD.

“Coach Bryant loves collegiate athletics and student athletes,” Ward said. “His passion for seeing them succeed and graduate is always evident. Seeing student athlete welfare and success is something I hope continues this campus.”

AU men’s basketball coach Dip Metress said Bryant not only had a huge impact on his coaching career, but his playing career as well.

In 1984 when Bryant was an assistant coach at Clemson, Metress was playing in the Beach Ball Classic Basketball Tournament as a high school senior. Bryant went and saw Metress play and helped him get recruited at Bryant’s alma mater, Belmont Abbey.

“Without Coach Bryant, I don’t even play in college,” said Metress.

Metress also said Bryant help him land a college coaching job. Bryant hired Metress in 1989 as AU’s assistant coach. Metress coached beside Bryant until 1995. Metress then would get a head coaching job with Belmont Abbey before returning to coach at AU in 2004.

“Without him, I don’t play in college and probably don’t get my first opportunity to coach in college,” Metress said. “He probably had the most influence on my coaching career because he hired me and saw me play.”

Bryant grew up in Washington, D.C., and graduated from Bishop McNamara High School in Forestville, Md., in 1973. He was a standout basketball player at Bishop McNamara.

The AU basketball coach and athletics director also was instrumental in bringing the prestigious Peach Jam basketball tournament to Augusta. It is a major recruiting tournament for Division I coaches.

Bryant is also a member of the Belmont Abbey and Augusta City Classic halls of fame. Bryant also was named to the NCAA Division II 40th anniversary tribute team.

And when AU made its runs to volleyball and men’s basketball glory during the recently completed academic year, you did not see Bryant mugging for the camera with the teams as they won conference and regional championships. No, that was for the players and coaches. That was old-school, too. That was Clint Bryant.

Note: At the top of the page, Clint Bryant (far left) sits on press row during an AU basketball game at Christenberry Fieldhouse. (staff photo)

Contact Chris Rickerson at crickerson@augusta.edu.