Clemson Basketball Loses Assistant Coach to Georgia

Antonio Reynolds Dean is leaving to be Bulldogs' Associate Head Coach

CLEMSON, S.C. -- Antonio Reynolds Dean, who has been on Brad Brownell's Clemson staff the last five seasons, is headed to Georgia to be Mike White's Associate Head Coach, ClemsonSI has confirmed.

White was hired as the Bulldogs' new coach on March 13.

Reynolds Dean primarily worked with the Tigers' post players, where Clemson has seen considerable production. Aamir Simms thrived under Reynolds Dean, most notably his jump in production from 2018-19 to 2019-21. 

Simms averaged career-highs in points (13.0), rebounds (7.2) and led the team in points, rebounds, assists and blocks, while earning All-ACC Third-Team honors in 2020 and repeated leading the team in points, rebounds and assists –the only player ever in ACC history to do so twice – in 2021.

Simms earned second-team all-conference honors in the process his senior season.

This past year, Reynolds Dean helped in the progression of PJ Hall in the post. Hall averaged 15.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game as a sophomore. He also shot 49.3 percent from the field.

Elijah Thomas also flourished under Reynolds Dean, averaging nearly a double-double with 10.7 points and 8.1 rebounds per game in 2017-18 and adding a terrific senior season with 13.1 points and 7.9 rebounds per game.

Thomas also led the team in blocks with 79 in 2017-18 and 74 in 2018-19 en route to being named to the ACC All-Defensive Team in back-to-back seasons.

Thomas finished his career tied for fourth in blocks per game (1.95) and eighth in total blocks (181). He posted 18 of his 20 career double-doubles under the tutelage of Reynolds Dean.