VCU NAMES ANTHONY GRANT MEN'S HOOPS COACH
4-18-06
GRANT HIRE RECOGNIZED AS NATION'S BEST

RICHMOND, Va. - Virginia Commonwealth University named Anthony Grant its new men's basketball coach on Tuesday, making him the ninth coach in the program's history. Grant, a native of Miami, Florida, recently finished his 10th year at the University of Florida and his 12th year overall as a top assistant under veteran coach Billy Donovan, more than a decade of work culminating in the Gator’s first national title in basketball.

"Right now is an exciting time for VCU Athletics," said VCU Director of Athletics Dr. Richard L. Sander.  "Bringing in Anthony Grant, a national champion, to lead our men's basketball program is very exciting.  Anthony is a star.  Coach Grant is an exceptional recruiter, he is a tremendous teacher, a superior coach and an even better person.  His addition to VCU positions us for greatness."

"I am very excited to be here at VCU," commented Grant.  "I appreciate Dr. Sander, President [Eugene] Trani, and Mr. [Norwood] Teague giving me this opportunity.  There is an obvious commitment on behalf of the administration to athletics and men's basketball in particular, to put us in a position to compete for championships."

At Florida, Grant served as Donovan's top aid in all phases of coaching, including recruiting, on-floor coaching, scouting, and practice planning.  Grant played a key role in helping the Gators to the 2006 NCAA title, the 2005 and 2006 Southeastern Conference Tournament titles, three SEC Eastern Division titles and back-to-back SEC Championships in 2000 and 2001. The 1999 and 2000 teams made the first back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances in school history and the 2000 squad made UF's first appearance in the National Championship game. The Gators have reached eight straight NCAA Tournaments, capped by the national title in 2006 in which Florida became the first team since the 1968 UCLA Bruins to win both the national semifinal and the final by 15+ points. The Gators are 226-98 (.698) during Grant's 10-year stint in Gainesville.

“The time and situation couldn’t be more perfect for Coach Grant to join VCU – both our program and league are poised to reach the next level,” said VCU President Eugene P. Trani.  “We are thrilled to have a person of Anthony Grant’s stature, experience and recruiting talents, and eagerly await the successes that are ahead of us.”

Grant has been an integral part in the recruiting and coaching of nine McDonald's All-Americans and four NBA First Round Draft choices. Four of the past seven signing classes for the Gators have been ranked in the top five in the nation by every major recruiting service.

Before making the journey south to Florida, Grant spent two years at Marshall, also under Donovan, helping the Thundering Herd to a 35-20 record.  Grant also served as an assistant for a single season at Stetson, after wrapping up a seven-year stint as a prep coach in Miami.  At the high school level, Grant's teams captured three state titles, five straight national rankings in USA Today and an overall record of 172-11.

Prior to joining the coaching ranks, Grant spent his collegiate playing career at the University of Dayton (1983-87), guiding the Flyers to a 70-49 (.588) overall mark, a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances, and one National Invitational Tournament berth.  In his 105 appearances in a Flyer uniform, Grant registered 11.6 points and 6.7 rebounds each time out and was named the team's Most Valuable Player as a senior.

Grant is married to the former Christina Harrell of Miami, Fla.  They have three sons, 10-year-old Anthony, 5-year-old Preston and Makai, 11 months. Their daughter, Jayda Danielle, is four years old.

“We are extremely proud and excited to have Anthony join the VCU family,” commented soon-to-be VCU Director of Athletics Norwood T. Teague.  “He brings the experience, the recruiting ability, and the drive that will continue to help build VCU men's basketball.  I look forward to working with him for a long time. The future of VCU is very bright.”

Grant will inherit a program that went 19-10 a year ago, including an 11-7 mark in league play.  The Rams, who posted an impressive 12-2 record in the Alltel Pavilion at the Stuart C. Siegel Center and saw record-setting attendance figures last season, will return three starters among eight letterwinners, while welcoming two newcomers for the 2006-07 season