As you step into Clemson for the first few times as a freshman, you may notice students pointing out a handful of people, and even animals, on campus. Here are just a handful of Clemson’s campus celebrities that you should put on your bucket list to meet during your time as a Tiger.
At the top of your list should be Clemson University President Jim Clements. Clements has been president since 2013 and a special part of Clemson ever since.
As truly one of the nicest and most genuine people on campus, one of the Clemson experience’s many highlights is to meet President Clements at least once. In fact, there are many different opportunities for students to meet him.
Clements’ house on campus is located near the high-rise dorms — Manning, Byrnes and Lever Hall — and Schilletter Dining Hall. If you live in one of these dorms or routinely eat at Schilletter, there’s a possibility you might spot him.
Additionally, Clemson hosts a Homecoming week every year, which includes the Homecoming float building that takes place on Bowman Field throughout the entire week. The floats are built by fraternities, sororities and other organizations. During this construction and “pomping” (as many students call it), President Clements makes an appearance to check out the progress, connect with the students involved and take pictures.
One of the many benefits of being a part of the organizations that build Homecoming floats includes having the opportunity to meet President Clements during his visit to the floats. He usually visits each float and stops to talk to a handful of students.
But don’t worry if you miss an opportunity to meet him on campus. You’ll be able to shake his hand at Clemson’s Ring Ceremony and Graduation when you receive your ring and diploma.
Another campus celebrity is football head coach Dabo Swinney. Beginning in 2003, he has been an integral member of the football program’s staff. In 2008, he was named Clemson football’s head coach after serving as the interim head coach.
Swinney continues to lead the football team to success. Since 2008, he’s led the Tigers to multiple national championships, playoffs and ACC championships. During his time as head coach, the Clemson football team has won two national championships, one during 2016 and one during 2018, among other notable wins.
During every home football game, you’ll likely see Coach Swinney from beginning to end. First, Swinney runs off the bus during the team’s entrance into Death Valley. After each member of the team touches Howard’s Rock, including Swinney, they run down the hill — and Swinney is always sprinting yards ahead, ready to meet each player at the end of the field to give them a high five. Each player catches up to him eventually, helping fill the stadium with spirit and enthusiasm at the beginning of each game.
Similar to President Clements, there are several different ways to meet Swinney. He also attends the annual Homecoming float building. If there’s a large crowd gathered at one of the floats, and President Clements is not in the center, you can assume it’ll be Swinney.
As a very well known celebrity both on and off campus, make it a priority to take a picture with — or a picture of — Swinney to show off to friends and family.
A third celebrity to keep an eye out for is Mr. Wien, the owner of downtown bar Itsurwiener. Mr. Wien, whose real name is John Agostino, is adored by Clemson students and residents for his welcoming demeanor and devotion to ensuring his customers are happy.
Agostino originally opened Itsurwiener in 2018 alongside his wife. Although business was slow for a bit during its first year, it quickly gained popularity and became a hit with Clemson students. Agostino even opened an additional bar, The Basement, in the space below Itsurwiener last September.
Agostino’s success isn’t limited to his entrepreneurial accomplishments — he is also a self-published author. His two novels, “Distant Relatives” and “Alternating Current: A Tesla Novel,” can be found on Amazon.
However, campus celebrities do not exclude animals. Buddy the Dog and his owner, Dave Eckstein, are two other celebrities that many students know and love.
Dave brings his labrador dog, Buddy, onto campus frequently and allows any and every student to pet him. Buddy even wears a tag around his neck that reads “OK 2 pet — BUDDY,” letting students know they can pet him to maximize the number of pets possible. A way to immediately brighten your day is to pet Buddy and chat with Dave.
Dave and Buddy were crowned Best Campus Celebrity in The Tiger’s annual Best of Clemson contest for the second year in a row in 2025, and for good reason.
You can find Buddy and Dave anywhere on campus. They can be seen outside of the Humanities building, sitting next to Brackett Hall or taking a walking break next to the business building. If Dave is walking on campus with Buddy, you can always stop him to pet Buddy.
Last but certainly not least, if you see people pointing and screaming at the ground, they most likely saw another campus celebrity: Terrence the groundhog, who is less likely and more difficult to be seen.
When you’re walking on campus and see a groundhog with dark brown fur, there is a high chance it’s Terrence. He can be seen emerging from the ground, but is only seen for a short amount of time before he goes into hiding again. Terrence is much more undercover than the other campus celebrities, but is still a special part of Clemson’s campus.
Aside from course work and extracurricular activities, Clemson students should also prioritize meeting these campus celebrities at Clemson — they’re famous for a reason.
