Anthony Grant (basketball) facts for kids
Grant arrives at Dayton in 2017
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| Dayton Flyers | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | April 15, 1966 Miami, Florida, U.S. |
| High school | Miami (Miami, Florida) |
| Career information | |
| College | Dayton (1983–1987) |
| Coaching career | 1987–present |
| League | Atlantic 10 Conference |
| Career history | |
| As coach: | |
| 1987–1992 | Miami HS (assistant) |
| 1992–1993 | Miami Central HS |
| 1993–1994 | Stetson (assistant) |
| 1994–1996 | Marshall (assistant) |
| 1996–2006 | Florida (assistant) |
| 2006–2009 | VCU |
| 2009–2015 | Alabama |
| 2015–2017 | Oklahoma City Thunder (assistant) |
| 2017–present | Dayton |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Anthony Duvale Grant (born April 15, 1966) is a successful American basketball coach. He is currently the head coach for the men's basketball team at the University of Dayton. Before Dayton, he led teams at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and the University of Alabama. He also worked as an assistant coach for the University of Florida and the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA. In 2020, he won several awards naming him the top college coach in the country.
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Early Life and Playing Career
Anthony Grant grew up in Miami, Florida, where he was a star basketball player at Miami Senior High School. He was so good that he was named the city's Player-of-the-Year.
From 1983 to 1987, Grant played college basketball for the University of Dayton. In his first year, he helped the Dayton Flyers reach the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament. This means they were one of the top eight teams in the entire country. As a sophomore, he averaged nearly 11 points and 7 rebounds per game.
During his four years at Dayton, Grant was known for his scoring and rebounding. As a senior, he was named team captain and Most Valuable Player (MVP). After college, he played for one year in a professional league called the United States Basketball League. He then returned to his old high school in 1987 to start his career as a math teacher and assistant basketball coach.
Journey as a Coach
Learning as an Assistant Coach
Before becoming a head coach, Grant spent many years learning as an assistant. He worked for ten years (1996–2006) at the University of Florida with head coach Billy Donovan. During this time, he helped the Florida Gators become one of the best teams in the nation.
The Gators went to the NCAA Tournament eight years in a row. They even played in the national championship game in 2000. In 2006, Grant helped coach the team to an NCAA national title. His work was so important that he was promoted to Associate Head Coach.
Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)
In 2006, Grant became the head coach of the VCU Rams. He quickly made the team a success. In his first season, he led VCU to a famous upset victory in the 2007 NCAA tournament, where they defeated the higher-ranked Duke Blue Devils.
Under his leadership, VCU won its conference championship three years in a row. Two of his players, Eric Maynor and Larry Sanders, were later chosen in the first round of the NBA Draft.
University of Alabama
In 2009, Grant became the head coach for the Alabama Crimson Tide. In his second season, the team won its division in the Southeastern Conference (SEC). He also led Alabama to the final game of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), a major college basketball tournament.
In 2012, Grant's team made it to the NCAA tournament, which was Alabama's first appearance in six years. He coached at Alabama for six seasons before leaving in March 2015.
A Stop in the NBA
After leaving Alabama, Grant coached in the pros. In June 2015, he was hired as an assistant coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA. He worked there for two seasons with his old friend, head coach Billy Donovan.
Return to Dayton
In March 2017, Grant returned to where his college career began. He was named the new head coach of the Dayton Flyers.
His most amazing season came in 2019–20. He coached the Flyers to an incredible 29–2 record, and the team finished ranked #3 in the country. For this achievement, Grant was named National Coach of the Year by many organizations, including the Associated Press and Sporting News. The team was expected to do very well in the NCAA tournament, but it was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Head coaching record
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VCU Rams (Colonial Athletic Association) (2006–2009) | |||||||||
| 2006–07 | VCU | 28–7 | 16–2 | 1st | NCAA Division I Round of 32 | ||||
| 2007–08 | VCU | 24–8 | 15–3 | 1st | NIT First Round | ||||
| 2008–09 | VCU | 24–10 | 14–4 | 1st | NCAA Division I Round of 64 | ||||
| VCU: | 76–25 (.752) | 45–9 (.833) | |||||||
| Alabama Crimson Tide (Southeastern Conference) (2009–2015) | |||||||||
| 2009–10 | Alabama | 17–15 | 6–10 | T–4th (West) | |||||
| 2010–11 | Alabama | 25–12 | 12–4 | 1st (West) | NIT Runner–up | ||||
| 2011–12 | Alabama | 21–12 | 9–7 | 5th | NCAA Division I Round of 64 | ||||
| 2012–13 | Alabama | 23–13 | 12–6 | T–2nd | NIT Quarterfinal | ||||
| 2013–14 | Alabama | 13–19 | 7–11 | T–10th | |||||
| 2014–15 | Alabama | 18–14 | 8–10 | T–8th | NIT Second Round* | ||||
| Alabama: | 117–85 (.579) | 54–48 (.529) | |||||||
| Dayton Flyers (Atlantic 10 Conference) (2017–present) | |||||||||
| 2017–18 | Dayton | 14–17 | 8–10 | 9th | |||||
| 2018–19 | Dayton | 21–12 | 13–5 | 3rd | NIT First Round | ||||
| 2019–20 | Dayton | 29–2 | 18–0 | 1st | No postseason held | ||||
| 2020–21 | Dayton | 14–10 | 9–7 | 7th | NIT First Round | ||||
| 2021–22 | Dayton | 24–11 | 14–4 | T–2nd | NIT Second Round | ||||
| 2022–23 | Dayton | 22–12 | 12–6 | T–2nd | |||||
| 2023–24 | Dayton | 25–8 | 14–4 | 3rd | NCAA Division I Round of 32 | ||||
| 2024–25 | Dayton | 23–11 | 12–6 | T–3rd | NIT Second Round | ||||
| Dayton: | 172–82 (.677) | 100–42 (.704) | |||||||
| Total: | 365–193 (.654) | ||||||||
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National champion Conference regular season champion Conference tournament champion |
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*Grant was fired prior to the 2015 NIT and did not coach in the Tide's two NIT games.
