“My policy has always been I don’t comment one way or another on job concerns,” he said. “Half the time these reports that come out are wrong.”
Asked if this report was wrong, Brownell wouldn’t say yes or no.
“I hope you understand,” he said. “I just don’t comment on job situations.”
The Clemson job opened up when Oliver Purnell took the job at DePaul.
According to The (Charleston, S.C.) Post & Courier, Al Skinner, who recently left Boston College, also interviewed for the Clemson job. The newspaper reported that Oklahoma’s Jeff Capel is at the top of Clemson’s list.
Brownell’s name also has been linked to the Wake Forest job. The private university located in Winston-Salem, N.C., fired Dino Gaudio earlier this week.
WSU Athletic Director Bob Grant said he talked to a few South Carolina media outlets Friday but had not been contacted by either Clemson or Wake Forest.
“I never comment on other teams’ openings,” Grant said. “If I’m doing my job, we have a bunch of coaches other people want.”
Wake’s athletic director is Ron Wellman, who grew up in Dayton and graduated from Wilbur Wright High School.
Brownell, 41, has a four-year record of 84-45 at Wright State. He led the Raiders to the NCAA tournament in 2007.
Prior to taking the WSU job, Brownell spent four years at North Carolina-Wilmington, compiling an 83-40 record with two NCAA tourney trips. His in-laws still live in North Carolina.