Shyatt back for fifth year with Tigers

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Posted 7:02AM on Saturday, March 16, 2002

CLEMSON, S.C. - Basketball coach Larry Shyatt is coming back to Clemson despite finishing last in the Atlantic Coast Conference the past three years. Clemson athletic director Bobby Robinson said Friday he had seen enough progress in Shyatt's program to give him a two-year contract extension that will keep him as coach through 2005. The Tigers were 13-17 last year and have gone 15-49 in the ACC through Shyatt's four seasons. ``I think it's a win-win for Clemson, a win-win for coach Shyatt and a win-win for the athletic department and AD,'' said Robinson, who is retiring June 30 after 17 years heading Clemson's athletic program. Shyatt will receive a small raise in base salary from $130,000 to $132,600. There's a buyout of $200,000 in the first year, sliding to $160,000 for 2004. Shyatt doesn't think it will take that long for Clemson to pay dividends on the court. ``Well, we're very pleased,'' Shyatt said. ``I think everybody knows how we feel about our commitment here, our loyalty and we want to prove we can place this program in a higher level than it is at the moment.'' Robinson said he and Bill D'Andrea, in charge of the day-to-day affairs of the basketball team, reviewed Shyatt and his team. They recommended to University President James Barker that Shyatt remain with a longer contract. ``He accepted our recommendation,'' Robinson said. D'Andrea said Shyatt's love of Clemson, strong recruiting and sincere dealings with players led them to their decision. ``Obviously, there are wins and losses, but there are other intangibles that we evaluate as well,'' he said. Shyatt's future was in doubt at Clemson before the season began. Robinson had said in retaining Shyatt after the 2001 season that the postseason was a realistic goal for the Tigers. But this year's team was never consistent enough to seriously contend. They opened 5-1 including a victory at Penn State, then lost home games to lightly regarded Winthrop and Yale. The Tigers began the ACC with strong victories at Georgia Tech and against then-No. 8 Virginia. But dropped their next eight league contests to fall out of contention. They wowed fans with a 118-115 double overtime win over nationally ranked Wake Forest, but fell flat at the Dean Dome against a subpar North Carolina. Clemson's season ended when they squandered a nine-point lead late to lose the ACC play-in game to Florida State at the league's tournament earlier this month. Robinson said Clemson's record has to improve. ``We have not been satisfied with the won-loss record, but, with the players we have returning and the players we have signed for next year, we feel we will make a strong improvement,'' he said. ``We are optimistic in coach Shyatt's ability to lead this program to postseason play in the future.'' Shyatt arrived in April 1998, inheriting a team built by his friend and former-boss Rick Barnes. Shyatt became Clemson's first coach to win 20 games his first year the Tigers were led by seniors Terrell McIntyre, Harold Jamison, Tony Christie and Tom Wideman and reached the NIT finals before falling to California. Next season, Shyatt feels as confident as he has since that first club. Guards Edward Scott and Tony Stockman return, as do inside players Chris Hobbs, Ray Henderson and Sherrod Ford. There is more depth than Shyatt has had the past few seasons. ``It's nice to know we have a little more experience and a little more talent returning,'' he said. Shyatt said it would not ``have been in anybody's best interest'' for him to return without the extension. ``But now that's a question I don't have to answer,'' he said.