CLEMSON — Terry Don Phillips, the former Clemson athletic director whose tenure helped lay the foundation for one of the most successful eras in school history, has passed away.
Phillips served as Clemson’s athletic director from 2002 until his retirement in 2012, overseeing a decade of growth that transformed the university’s athletic department and positioned the Tigers for national prominence. His most enduring legacy came in 2008 when he made the bold and controversial decision to promote wide receivers coach Dabo Swinney to head football coach, a move that would ultimately alter the trajectory of Clemson athletics.
A native of Longview, Texas, Phillips arrived at Clemson after successful administrative stops at Liberty, Louisiana-Lafayette, Arkansas and Oklahoma State. A former defensive tackle at Arkansas, Phillips brought a coach’s eye and an administrator’s vision to Clemson at a pivotal time in the program’s history…