Clemson Athletics announces restructuring of leadership team

CLEMSON, S.C. – Clemson University Director of Athletics Graham Neff announced the restructuring of the leadership team within the athletic department to position Clemson for the future of collegiate athletics. The reconfiguration coincides with Clemson’s launch of several innovative efforts to adapt to the changing athletics landscape.

“College athletics is evolving rapidly, and we’ll continue to put Clemson in the best position to succeed,” said Neff. “This leadership team drives so much of the day-to-day operations and allows us to be nimble, decisive and forward-thinking in how we attack the ever-changing athletics landscape. I could not have more confidence in the staff we have here at Clemson, all of whom are focused on how to thrive in a new world of collegiate athletics while still holding dear to what makes Clemson Clemson.”

Neff’s Leadership team within the athletics department consists of the establishment of three main areas: Finance and Operations, Student Services and Performance, and the Athletic Director’s Office.

Kevin White continues his role as Deputy Director of Athletics, where he supports the Football and Men’s Basketball programs as sport supervisor. He serves as the liaison with IPTAY, where he assists with fundraising initiatives for all 21 sports along with having oversight of the Ticket Office.

Lisa Knox has assumed the new role of Deputy Athletic Director / Chief of Staff. On behalf of the Director of Athletics, Knox will coordinate the efforts of the senior staff and oversee the execution of strategic initiatives, daily operations, and administrative functions to ensure alignment with the Department’s mission and goals.  She will also lead the Department’s fan experience team and the Strategic Communications and Publicity unit.  Knox was a four-year letterwinner and three-time captain on the Georgia Tech women’s swim team and holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Tech and an MBA from Clemson.

Knox has spent the past 14 years at Clemson, including as director of the university’s Lean programs, and most recently as the assistant vice president and executive director of the Office of Institutional Excellence (OIE), leading the implementation of the Clemson Elevate strategic plan. She will continue providing strategic guidance to the OIE and serving on the University’s Executive Leadership Team.

Knox and White will be joined by Executive Senior Associate AD /  Senior Woman Administrator Stephanie Ellison-Johnson and Executive Senior Associate AD for Strategy & Administration Kyle Young within the Athletic Director’s Office team. This group will oversee sports supervision programs, human resources, fan experience, strategic communications & publicity, and manage Title IX compliance.

Natalie Honnen, Executive Senior Associate AD for Student-Athlete Services and Performance, will oversee the Student Services and Performance team, which includes Sports Performance, Sports Medicine, Mental Health, Nutrition and Student-Athlete Conduct, among others. Clemson will open the $50 million Watt Family Performance and Wellness Center in early 2025 to house many of the units. Steve Duzan has assumed the role of Senior Associate AD for Student-Athlete Services, providing support in the area of conduct and behavior and liaison to other Clemson University services.

Eric Sabin is now the Executive Senior Associate AD for Finance and Operations after spending five years directly managing nearly $150 million in capital projects since 2019, headlined by major updates to Memorial Stadium and the Women’s Sports Expansion project. He’ll continue to guide both the capital projects team, led by Jon Allen, and the business office, led by Austin Dillard. Both Allen and Dillard have extensive experience at Clemson in operations and finance roles.

Additionally, Amanda Gray Richardson has assumed the role of Senior Associate AD for Regulatory Affairs, where she will guide the NCAA governance and compliance efforts of the Athletic Department.