A lot has changed since Clint Bryant first stepped on the Augusta University campus.
The athletic director, who will retire on June 30, remembers the days of Augusta College as it was known in 1988 when he was named the college’s basketball coach and athletic director.
Most of the academic classes were in six buildings, and the athletic facilities included tennis courts and a swimming pool on what is now referred to as the Summerville campus, and students had to take swimming in order to graduate, he reminisced.
“I remember when we broke ground (on the Christenberry Fieldhouse) in 1991,” said Bryant. “It was the first new building for Augusta College.”
Since then, he’s seen many additional construction projects, multiple name changes, the consolidation of Augusta State University and the Medical College of Georgia and the creation of additional campuses.
He’s also overseen a strong athletic program.
The AU athletic program has 13 sports with multiple teams qualifying for NCAA regional competitions. The Augusta University men’s golf team won back-to-back Division I NCAA National Championships in 2010 and 2011. In 2018, Broc Everett won the men’s golf NCAA National Championship.
The Augusta University volleyball team reached the NCAA Elite Eight and this year, the men’s basketball team had its best-ever record before losing in the national championship game. The basketball team has had several seasons reaching the final rounds of the playoffs.
Bryant was named the Division II Athletic Director of the Year in 2007 and selected to the NCAA’s Division II 40th anniversary team. In July 2012, Bryant was recognized by the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association with its Distinguished Service Award.
MORE: Augusta University athletic director set to retire June 30
Bryant has spent the past 50 years on college campuses,q starting with his time as a player at Belmont Abbey. He started his career at Clemson University serving as an assistant coach under Bill Foster from 1977-84 and as an assistant coach and associate head coach under Foster at the University of Miami (Fla.) from 1984-1988.
At the University of Miami, he helped restart the basketball program after a 15-year hiatus, he said.
During his time with the Jaguars, he coached the men’s basketball team nine years and was named Big South Coach of the Year for the 1990-1991 season. Overall, his Jaguar teams won 106 games.
Basketball has opened doors for Bryant to travel.
“I’ve been to China, Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Ireland, Spain, every state in the United States,” he said. “That’s a heck of an experience in itself. I feel tremendously blessed to have those opportunities to do that.”
But Augusta has been the place he’s put down roots.
Bryant settled into the community, where he and his wife raised their two daughters. Despite the fact that his daughters have moved to different parts of the country, the couple still plans to remain in the Garden City.
“I’ve met a lot of people, made a lot of friendships,” he said.
He’s also volunteered a lot in the local community with organizations such as Boys and Girls Club, the United Way of the CSRA, the Kiwanis Club of Augusta, 100 Black Men of Augusta and several foundations.
He helped found the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League Peach Jam which is entering its 26 year this summer.
As he looks back, Bryant acknowledges he has a lot of accomplishments that bring him pride.
“Everybody wants to talk about how many games you won, how many regional championship, national championships, coaches of year that you have, player of the year; rookie and freshman of the year; how many All-Americans, how many Academic All-American and so on. I think that’s good, and that’s what athletics is all about, but at the same time and more importantly is being able to watch young people come in as 17 or 18 year olds and watch them mature and leave here at 21 or 22 years old as adults with a degree in their hand,” he said.
While some students haven’t gotten their degrees in that four-year time frame, some have taken longer or come back and finished at a later time, and that’s OK too, he said.
“The number one priority, I think, for college athletics is about getting a degree.
That’s first and foremost. I think we’ve been able to do that over the years,” he said.
As he’s finishing his time at Augusta University, Bryant said he does have one regret.
“If there’s one major regret that I have in my career here it’s that there have been a number of plans and initiatives to provide our baseball and softball players with a better facility. I think it will help them. We’re a little bit behind on this. Nobody knew there would be a worldwide pandemic. That will get done,” he said.
After retiring, Bryant plans to take about three to six months and travel. He wants to see his daughters and his young grandson and take a trip to the Wine Country.
“It’s been a heck of a ride, very rewarding. There have been a lot of things I probably never thought I’d do,” Bryant said.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the managing editor of The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com
