Grant leaving VCU to coach at Alabama
Times-Dispatch
Anthony Grant coached the Virginia Commonwealth University men’s basketball team for three seasons.
Virginia Commonwealth University coach Anthony Grant said he has agreed in principle to become Alabama's coach.
Grant told The Times-Dispatch this evening that he could not comment further, but a press conference is expected on Sunday.
The college basketball world has been watching Grant since he talked to Alabama officials on Sunday and then, on Wednesday, went to Tuscaloosa and was given the on-campus VIP treatment at Alabama.
By Thursday night published reports said Grant had been offered the job and had five days to tell Alabama what his decision would be.
Meanwhile, speculation swirled around a scenario that supposed Florida coach Billy Donovan would be the top candidate for a job opening at Kentucky and that Grant would be Florida’s choice to replace Donovan.
That door, if it was ever open, appeared to slam shut today. Kentucky fired Billy Gillispie, but within minutes of that official announcement, Donovan issued a statement saying he was not interested in leaving Florida for the Kentucky job or any other job.
Grant spent 10 seasons at Florida as Donovan’s assistant and helped the Gators to the first of consecutive national championships before he came to VCU. He coached the Rams for three seasons, posting a 76-25 record. The Rams won three Colonial Athletic Association regular-season titles and two CAA tournament titles with trips to the NCAA tournament.
In 2007 the Rams eliminated Duke in the first round of the NCAA tournament, a dramatic win that thrust Grant and the team into the national spotlight. VCU subsequently lost to Pittsburgh in overtime. In the NCAA tournament this year, the Rams lost to UCLA in the first round when VCU’s last-second shot to win fell short.
— Tim Pearrell
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Reader Reactions
One thing is clear, Anthony Grant will be missed here. I am very happy that he is taking this step. As we watch VCU’s last coach approach the NCAA championship, we watch his predecessor return to SEC basketball. I will enjoy watching ‘Bama take on Florida!
As for Coach Grant helping find us another coach, I do believe he has done that as well.
Thank you for three EXCELLENT years of coaching at VCU and giving Rams basketball fans something to look forward to!
I think it is so very classy of so many of you in the way that you have voiced your support for Coach Grant during this time. I don’t know much about what happens in CAA or the nuances of your university and state. We all have our opinions, and in the last few days I have made some posts trying to counter the misinformation that I had seen here- such as Alabama supporters and alumni like myself not knowing the name of our basketball coach. I have made a few people upset for defending my home state and my university against silly and insulting comments, and I am sorry to the one person stating they were an Alabama fan in particular. That wasn’t my intention as I never uttered an arrogant or hateful word against VCU as they have the same support and love from their own fan base that we have in our university.
I was honored to have the opportunity to play in the Women’s Final Four at Richmond Coliseum in 1994. That makes me a part of the only basketball team at the University of Alabama to be able to make that claim. We want to see our men be able to do the same, and we believe that just took a step closer to reality with the hiring of Coach Grant. We our pleased beyond belief that he and his own family are now the newest members of our Alabama Family. I wish you nothing but the best as you begin your own search. Norwood Teague should get some type of added reward for the great job he does in hiring VCU’s coaches :-)
I guess we knew this was coming, be it ‘Bama or any other program from the major conferences. But, I can’t help but wonder how one goes about telling a bunch of 19 year old kids who you’ve brought a thousand miles away from home, “good luck, thanks for everything…have a nice life.“ I just hope they all stay. If not, forget about it, the clock just struck midnight.
Congratulations to Coach Grant! I’m a VCU grad and hate to see him leave but it is a well deserved job for a great coach. I’m disappointed in other fans who are turning their backs on him. Yes the CAA is a mid major and the SEC is big time. Football school or not he will be coaching in a big time conference. He did a great job at VCU and that got recognized. Good for him and good for us at VCU. Just like when Coach Caple left, we got a great coach and we can get another one. This will be a coveted job by good coaches. Thanks Coach Grant for the great job you did here at VCU and continued success at Alabama. As long as they aren’t playing the Rams I say Roll Tide.
Alabama is thrilled to have Coach Grant. Yes the SEC is football country but I promise you we do know who our basketball coach is and if he wins or looses. Alabama is a football school and football will always be number 1 but the University is making a commitment to Coach Grant and the basketball program. They are going to pay him a lot of money, build a brand new pratice facility and just spent 50 million updating Coleman Collesium 3 years ago. Alabama wants to be like other great programs where they have great football and basketball, see Florida, Oklahoma, Texas etc…I can not wait to see where he can take this program. Roll Tide
Certainly no one can be surprised that he’s leaving. My only surprise is he’s going to Alabama where basketball is the clear #2 and the program will be grossly overshadowed by Nick Saban and football. I don’t know if he was even in the mix at UVa, but that would have been a better move. I wish Anthony well—he’s gonna need it.
He is destined for obscurity at Alabama. The SEC is football country. I doubt if most people in Alabama even know who their basketball coach is.
that was a quick move…I guess whoever made the first move towards Grant was going to land him; or, he’s positioning himself to go head-to-head against Donovan. Well, thanks for the hard work and good luck. Wish you could have been considered for UVA, they’ve run out of class up there.
Congrats to a great coach! He brought so much energy to the city of Richmond. Like any other person in the “real world”, Anthony should be allowed to grow professionally. I just hope we can get a game against Oklahoma and Alabama now! Go Rams!
AG you will definitely be missed! What you and the team did for this community will never be forgotten. I wish you the best of luck. Before you go, can you help VCU find another coach?
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