Clemson hires new president away from Big Ten school. Here’s what we know
Clemson University has a new president.
Kevin Guskiewicz was formally hired as the school’s 16th president Wednesday. Guskiewicz spent the last two years as president at Michigan State University in the Big Ten. Before that, he was chancellor at North Carolina from 2019-24.
Guskiewicz replaces Jim Clements, who retired in December after 12 years on the job. Clemson provost and chief academic officer Bob Jones served as the school’s interim president during its national search for its next president.
The Clemson University Board of Trustees unanimously approved Guskiewicz’s appointment as president and his contract in a virtual meeting Wednesday.
Clemson is signing Guskiewicz to a five-year contract with a base salary of $1.216 million annually. Guskiewicz can earn up to $250,000 in bonuses each year “if annual goals and metrics are met,” and his contract has various other perks, including an annual raise of $50,000 with positive performance reviews.
His total compensation package will likely place Guskiewicz in the $1.3 million to $1.5 million range in any given year, similar to what Clements was making.
“I’ve known for many years how special Clemson University is, and I’m honored by the opportunity to build on the extraordinary tradition of excellence and to help lead the university into the future,” Guskiewicz said in a news release.
Guskiewicz ‘thrilled’ for Clemson job after MSU drama
Michigan State’s university Board of Trustees recently offered to double Guskiewicz’s annual salary to $2 million annually amid concerns he could leave for another university president job after just two years at MSU.
Guskiewicz said Wednesday that he “never requested” a raise or contract extension from Michigan State and that he and his wife, Amy, had been weighing the job opportunity at Clemson for several weeks.
Though Guskiewicz is from Pennsylvania, he’s spent a large portion of his career in the Southeast. He has a doctorate degree from the University of Virginia and spent 27 years at UNC-Chapel Hill in various roles, including chancellor.
Guskiewicz said he considers Clements, Clemson’s most recent president, a good friend. Clements encouraged Guskiewicz to look into the president job.
As he detailed in a farewell message to Michigan State, Guskiewicz also had concerns about his working relationship with that university’s Board of Trustees amid drama surrounding a new code of ethics and conduct.
Guskiewicz said some MSU trustees displayed “discouraging behavior” and put “personal interests above the best interests of the university.”
He plans to move to Clemson’s campus and formally start “some time in August.”
“We’re thrilled to be back in the region at a proudly public university that I know aspires to do incredible things for the people of South Carolina, the region, the nation and beyond,” Guskiewicz said of Clemson in a media Zoom call.
Impact of sports and long-term commitment
Clemson used an executive search firm and formed a presidential search committee within its Board of Trustees for its roughly five-month search. The school’s goal was to have a new president in place by the start of the 2026 fall semester.
Cheri Phyfer, chair of the board’s presidential search committee, said Clemson had “an extremely strong and talented pool of candidates” and the “extraordinary” level of interest in the job was a reminder of Clemson’s respect nationally.
Clemson board chairwoman Kim Wilkerson described Guskiewicz as “an outstanding leader with an impressive record at every institution he has served.”
Guskiewicz has been chancellor at two “basketball schools” (UNC and Michigan State). He said Wednesday he understands the impact a strong athletic department can have on a school and will be active in supporting Clemson sports.
He name-dropped Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney during his introductory remarks to the board and said he’d texted with the school’s two-time national champion football coach Tuesday night.
“We agreed that we can do a lot of great things together for Clemson,” Guskiewicz said of Swinney, adding that he’ll meet with Tigers Athletic Director Graham Neff and Clemson’s head coaches in coming weeks.
Clemson has had just three university presidents this century. Clements’ predecessor, James Barker, spent 15 years as president from 1999-2013.
That contrasts a bit with Guskiewicz’s résumé. Although he had a long teaching career at UNC before becoming chancellor, the Clemson job represents Guskiewicz’s third different major school leadership position in the past seven years.
Does he see himself staying at Clemson long-term?
“That’s certainly our goal,” Guskiewicz said. “... It’s a place we hope we will be at for many, many years. ... I think the future’s bright, and we want to be a part of it.”
Recent history of Clemson University presidents
- R.C. Edwards, 1958-79
- Bill Atchley, 1979-85
- Walter Cox, 1985-86
- Max Lennon, 1986-94
- Phil Prince, 1994-95
- Constantine Curris, 1995-99
- James Barker, 1999-2013
- Jim Clements, 2013-25
- Kevin Guskiewicz, 2026-present
This story was originally published May 27, 2026 at 10:36 AM with the headline "Clemson hires new president away from Big Ten school. Here’s what we know."
