CLEVELAND, TN - The Division II Athletics Directors Association (D2 ADA) has selected former Augusta University Director of Athletics Clint Bryant as a 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. The Lifetime Achievement Award is given to athletics directors who have exemplified superior achievement during their career at the Division II level. Steve Poston (Wingate) also received the honor.
"The impact that both of these individuals have had on the Division II community is second to none," stated D2 ADA President Kirby Garry, director of athletics at Cal State Monterey Bay. "Both Clint and Steve served multiple decades at their institutions, Clint at 34 years, and Steve at 50-plus years. Their service, leadership and impact within the Division II community and across their institutions is something to be admired."
Clint Bryant
Bryant's career began at a Division II institution, Belmont Abbey College where he played basketball player and earned his bachelor's degree in 1977. From there, he went on to earn his master's degree from Clemson University in 1979 and pursued a career in coaching until 1997 with stops at Clemson, University of Miami and finally at Augusta University (previously Georgia Regents University), where he also was named the director of athletics.
Augusta is where Bryant continued for the next 34 years, stepping down from the sidelines in 1997, but continuing his illustrious career through 2022.
Nationally, Bryant served on a multitude of NCAA and conference committees, including a two-year sting on NCAA Management Council where he also served as chair of the group. He is also one of the founders of the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association (MOAA), serving as its president for 10 years. Bryant also was one of the founding members of the Black Coaches Association, trying to address the inequality in the coaching profession.
The awards he has received are plentiful, including but not limited to the following –
- 2007 – NACDA Athletics Director of the Year
- 2012 – MOAA Distinguished Service Award
- 2013 – Division II 40th Anniversary Team
- 2014 – NCAA/MOAA Award for Diversity and Inclusion (Georgia Regents)
- 2016 – August City Classic Hall of Fame
- 2022 – court at Christenberry Fieldhouse renamed Clint L. Bryant Court
Throughout his more than 45-year career as a collegiate administrator and coach, he has been recognized for his impactful leadership at the university and throughout the community. He has served the Kiwanis Club of Augusta, the United Way of the CSRA on their board of directors, a past president of the 100 Black Men of Augusta, Inc. and a past honorary chairman of the National Kidney Foundation of Georgia.
During his tenure, Bryant saw multiple teams win Peach Belt Conference Championships. The men's golf team won back-to-back Division I NCAA National Championships (2010 and 2011), and during his final year he watched the women's volleyball team reach the NCAA elite eight for the first time in school history and the men's basketball team reaching the national championship game. His most important metric was the thousands of student-athletes that left Augusta University with a degree.
Bryant's legacy is characterized by his commitment to graduating student-athletes and his integrity of how he led his staff, NCAA committees, and led professionals in the industry. He was a leader in the profession and an inspiration to many black men and women who look up to him as a black administrator. His impact on the athletics industry will be experienced for years to come.
