Clemson athletic director Graham Neff announced that Shawn Poppie will be the new women’s basketball head coach on Tuesday after the Clemson University Board of Trustees unanimously approved the move.

Poppie was formerly the head coach of the women’s basketball team at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Poppie was recently named the 2023-24 Southern Conference Coach of the Year. He also boasted an impressive resume in his two years with the University, as he held a 48-18 record with the Mocs and won back-to-back Southern Conference Tournament championships.

Poppie’s contract is a six-year deal beginning at $500,000, which will increase to $625,000 in the last year and includes a signing bonus and other bonuses based on the Tigers’ performance.

“I am beyond excited to be joining the Clemson Tiger family as the next head women’s basketball coach,” Poppie said in a statement. “With the resources in place and everyone moving in synergy together, I believe we can compete in the ACC, the best women’s basketball conference in the country.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Shawn and his family to Clemson,” Neff said. “As we worked through our search process, his name kept coming up in several circles, and the on-court results speak for themselves.”

The hire comes after former head coach Amand Butler and Clemson parted ways following the 2023-24 season, which saw the Tigers end the season with a 12-19 record. Butler’s overall record with the Tigers was 81-106, and the team saw one NCAA Tournament appearance in her six seasons at the helm.

With Poppie, Clemson gains a coach with recent experience in the NCAA Tournament, as he made the tournament in both of his years in Chattanooga, losing in the first round in each appearance. Poppie also has experience coaching in the ACC, as he was an assistant coach at Virginia Tech from 2016 to 2021. Poppie is not only familiar with the ACC but also with South Carolina, as he was a former player and coach at Limestone and had coaching stints at USC Upstate and Furman.