Dayton Flyers hire OKC Thunder Assistant Coach Anthony Grant
Anthony Grant returns to NCAA as Dayton Flyers new head coach.
OKC Thunder associate coach Anthony Grant is heading back to the NCAA as the new head coach for Dayton College. This move comes on the heels of Archie Miller departing Dayton to take over at Indiana.
Anthony Grant has strong ties with the NCAA having spent time as an assistant coach to Donovan in Florida. Being with the Gators In 2006 during their National Title run reaped benefits for Grant as the following season he moved on to become the head coach of Virginia Commonwealth (VCU). Grant spent three years with VCU (2006-2009) coaching them to two appearances in the NCAA Tournament. In 2009 Grant moved to Alabama where he spent the next six seasons. The Alabama Crimson Tide made one appearance in the NCAA tournament. His overall NCAA coaching record is 193-110.
Thunder assistant Anthony Grant has been named the new head coach at Dayton.
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) March 30, 2017
Perhaps adding to his recruitment are his strong ties with the Dayton Flyers. Grant spent his own college years in Dayton from 1983 to 1987. As a three year starter on the Flyers Grant averaged 11.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists while shooting 47.4 percent from the field.
This past weekend folks in Oklahoma City got a little worried when a tweet announced OKC Thunder head coach had flown to Indiana. Many assumed he may have been interviewing for the open Indiana job which Miller inevitably took.
Public service announcement: Any reports of Billy Donovan being in Indiana this week, or being interested in the Indiana job aren't true.
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) March 25, 2017
Here's Billy Donovan today on the Indiana coaching rumors that were circulating the last few days #News9Thunder pic.twitter.com/3TvW5IbsiK
— Brad Galbreath (@bradgalbreath) March 25, 2017
Statements:
Dayton released the following statement:
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“Anthony Grant is a proven winner with the highest integrity,” Dayton athletic director Neil Sullivan said in a statement. “He has successful experience in coaching, recruiting and playing basketball at an elite level. I welcome Anthony to our staff and look forward to partnering with him as we continue to aggressively pursue graduating student-athletes, winning conference championships and advancing in the NCAA tournament. He is absolutely the right coach.”
As for Grant he responded in kind:
“I am honored and humbled to be the head coach at the University of Dayton,” Grant said in a statement. “It’s a great responsibility to take over at an institution that is so well-respected. Anyone you talk to in college basketball would say our program is a successful one, but the potential is here for so much more.”
Oklahoma City Thunder fans wish Anthony Grant much success as he returns to the Atlantic 10 to coach the Dayton Flyers.