SUPPORT STAFF Tee Butters Graduate Manager 1st Season Former Tiger student manager Tee Butters has been named graduate manager for the Clemson men’s basketball program, Head Coach Brad Brownell announced over the summer. Butters took over the position for Adam Gordon, who was hired as the director of basketball operations at Northern Colorado. Butters was a student manager for the Tiger basketball team each of the past four seasons. Clemson advanced to the NCAA Tournament during each of his years with the program and won a firstround game over UAB in March. Clemson and Duke are the only schools in the ACC to advance to each of the last four NCAA Tournaments. During his four-year stretch as a team manager, Clemson compiled a 90-42 overall record. Butters was the recipient of the 2011 Andy Balliet “Spirit of Clemson” Award, given annually to a support staff member who goes above and beyond the call of duty for the men’s basketball program. “I’m really happy Tee has decided to continue working with the program,” Brownell said. “He is a very loyal, hard-working young man and our players have a great deal of respect for him. I know he’s excited to get his coaching career started at his alma mater.” Butters is the grandson of Duke Athletic Hall of Fame member Tom Butters, who was a pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1962-65 and went on to serve as athletic director for the Blue Devils from 1977-98. The Durham, NC native earned his undergraduate degree in business management at the May commencement ceremonies. The son of Bret and Nancy Butters, he is enrolled in the youth development leadership master’s degree program.
Lucas McKay Video Coordinator 2nd Season Lucas McKay is in his second season as an assistant director of video services with the men’s basketball program. Head Coach Brad Brownell made the announcement shortly after becoming the 22nd head coach in Clemson history. McKay came to Tigertown after serving as Brownell’s administrative assistant at Wright State from 2007-10. “I’ve known Lucas since he was 17 years old, when he was a manager for me at UNC Wilmington,” Brownell said. “He’s an incredibly hard worker. He’s a guy who’s used to putting in 16-hour days. He’s a behind-the-scenes kind of guy. He helped me with my day-to-day dealings at Wright State. He’s very good with video, and he’s got a great feel for basketball. He’s hungry to learn and move up in this profession. He’s from Raleigh and he loves the ACC. He’s unbelievably appreciative of the opportunity to be here at Clemson.” McKay was an important part of the Tiger staff in 2010-11, when Clemson compiled a 22-12 overall record and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for a record fourth straight season. The Tigers were 9-7 in the ACC and earned a first-round bye in the ACC Tournament by virtue of being the No. 4 seed in the conference. Clemson also won its first NCAA Tournament game in 14 years in 2011 when the Tigers knocked off UAB, 70-52, in Dayton, OH as part of the “First Four” round. McKay worked under Brownell as a student manager at UNC Wilmington from 2003-06. He was a manager on Brownell’s last team at UNC Wilmington, the 2005-06 squad that went 25-8 and won the Colonial Athletic Association championship en route to an NCAA Tournament appearance. The Seahawks compiled a 59-33 record while McKay was a manager with the team.
“Being a Raleigh native, I grew up around ACC basketball,” McKay said. “To have the opportunity to be in the ACC with Coach Brownell is a great honor. We’re excited about the opportunity to take Clemson basketball to the next level.” McKay earned his undergraduate degree in political science from UNC Wilmington in December of 2006. He has worked several regional and national camps, including ones at Clemson, as a coach and administrator. After graduation, he spent one year as an assistant coach at Harrells Christian Academy before rejoining Brownell at Wright State in 2007. He worked as an administrative assistant under Brownell at Wright State. In three seasons, Brownell’s teams put together an overall record of 61-35. McKay oversaw the day-to-day organization of the basketball office. His duties included supervision of the managerial staff, organizing recruiting mailouts, arranging travel and video editing. He earned his master’s degree in student affairs in higher education from Wright State in June of 2009. McKay is married to the former Lindsay Martin.
Jermile Brooks Athletic Trainer 4th Season Jermile Brooks, a former graduate assistant in the Clemson athletic training room, is in his fourth season working directly with the men’s basketball program. Brooks returned to Clemson in the summer of 2008 after serving his alma mater College of Charleston as an assistant athletic trainer from 2005-08. Brooks handles all of the men’s basketball program’s athletic training needs. Clemson has compiled a 66-32 record in three seasons with Brooks on board. With the Cougar program, he was the primary athletic trainer for men’s basketball, equestrian, cross country and track & field, women’s golf, and cheerleading. He also was rehab coordinator for the Johnson Center Athletic Training Room. Brooks was coordinator of inventory and budgeting of supplies, clinical instructor for student athletic trainers, and supervisor of the school’s graduate interns.
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