Of the names that have been circulating the IU coaching replacement discussion, Anthony Grant is among the lesser known. In his second year as head coach at Virginia Commonwealth University, Grant has made a name for himself in limited time. At 41 years-old, he is one of the younger coaches in the NCAA, but he already has more than 10 years of coaching experience.
Grant’s success at VCU and his path to success suggest that he could be successful if given the opportunity to become the head coach at Indiana University. But he is still relatively inexperienced, but he has a track record as a strong recruiter in some of the top programs in the country.
Coaching History
Grant played college basketball for four years at the University of Dayton. Grant helped lead the Flyers to the Elite Eight his freshman year and was an above average player throughout his career. But at 6’5”, Grant was too small to play at the forward position in the NBA, so after a short stint in the United States Basketball League, Grant started coaching.
His first gig was at Miami Senior High School in 1987, the same school he played at and graduated from. Grant worked as a math teacher and helped out as an assistant coach. In 1992, he was promoted to head coach. In his time at the high school, Grant helped transform the school into a national powerhouse. As an assistant and the head coach, he led the team to five straight national rankings, three state titles, and a 172-11 overall record.
After one year as the head coach, Grant moved to the college game. His first stint was as an assistant coach at Stetson University for the 1993-1994 season. He then moved to Marshall University, where he worked under Billy Donovan from 1994-1996. When Donovan was promoted to the head coach at the University of Florida in 1996, Grant followed him.
There, Grant helped Donovan turn Florida into a basketball powerhouse. Grant was in part responsible for recruiting the many of the players who helped lead the Gators to their first national championship game in 2000. With the increased success and role Grant played in the program, he was promoted to associate head coach in 2002. Grant also helped recruit the players who brought Gainesville its first national title in 2006 and its second in 2007.
But after Florida’s first national title in 2006, Grant was offered a head coaching job of his own at VCU. In his first season the Commodores, Grant led the squad to a 28-7 record. Perhaps more impressive was his team’s upset of Duke in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
This year, Grant again has his team positioned for a tournament berth. The Commodores are currently 19-6.
Fit for Indiana University?
While Grant only has two years as a head coach under his belt, he has already shown that he is a good recruiter and a quality coach. Even at Virginia Commonwealth, Grant has been able to draw very talented players.
As a protégé of Billy Donovan, Grant has had the opportunity to learn from one of the best coaches in NCAA basketball. In his ten years at the University of Florida, Grant gained experience at a big state school.
If offered the job at Indiana University, Grant would have no reason to reject it. The step up from the Colonial Athletic Association to the Big Ten would be a big promotion for the young coach and would give him the opportunity to compete for national titles that he could call his own.
Grant is young, so he could be a long-term solution to the Hoosiers’ coaching needs. He is considered by many to be a players coach, and though he has no ties to the Midwest, it appears as though Grant would be an excellent fit in the IU basketball program.
For more on IU basketball, visit the
IUplanet basketball forum.
For more on Anthony Grant:
Anthony Grant (basketball - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
Flipside Sports: One Final Note On Mr. Grant
Basketball: The Future of Anthony Grant - The Quad - Sports - New York Times Blog
Linear Mode
