Link: Grant accepts Alabama offer - Page 11

TIDE-HSV · March 28th, 2009, 09:21 PM

	Quote:
	I go M.I.A. for 24 hours and this is what I miss?!

Where the hell have you been, Jeff? A South Seas island somewhere with no TV and no internet?

LCN · March 28th, 2009, 10:33 PM

It would be a nice gesture if those who can do so would go ahead and drive on out to the airport around noon tomorrow

GoBama#1 · March 28th, 2009, 10:36 PM

	Quote:	VCUfanHere
	For what it is worth, You guys have landed, what I think is one of the best coaches in the business. Some of our fans are bitter, feel shafted, but I have to give you guys credit from what it sounds it is time for ALabama to make a run at being a National contender in basketball. After watching grant for 3 years now I dont think you could have picked anyone better. Many of us feel that Grant was our key to being the "Gonzaga of the East". In is tenure he got the most out of our players for one. They bought into his system completly. His philosophy is he wants his team to play so hard that you have to ask to come out of the game and believe me he got that out of them. Defensivly, I did not see a more tenecious team all year when things finally clicked 1/2 way through the year. He was in the mix w/the big guys for recruits and had a top 20 PG comming this year. He recruited above the mid-major level as many of us feel that we were/are going to be a top 20 team once his original freshman become seniors. Some might say that he won w/Capel's recruits. What is not mentioned is that Grant took a 19-10 team good for 5th place that lost its leading scorer (Capel's last year @VCU) and the next year right out of the gates broke the CAA record for wins. I watched both Capel and Grant coached teams religiously and Grant is far and above the better coach...count on that. And I was upset to see Capel leave. I dont know anything about your team, who you have next year, but you will land top knotch recruits and it would not suprise me to see an LSU like season next year. I am surly counting on seeing you guys in the top 15 year in and year out from now on. Best of luck to you guys next year, I might be in the minority here in Richmond, but I now have a 2nd favorite team.

As a Richmond Native and VCU alumus, but lifelong die hard Tide fan(most of my family is in Alabama), I have to say that one's loss is another's gain for me.

I hate to see Grant leave VCU. I remember the day the Rams beat Duke in the NCAA tournament and put VCU and Richmond area spots on the national map, even if it was for a short moment. It was very exciting to be a part of for a school that I attended for 4 years and graduated from. Grant made me proud to be part of the VCU family.

That said, I can say that I am glad that Grant is leaving VCU for my beloved University of Alabama. Since Grant is going to Bama, I can live with his departure from VCU. VCU has become a great spot for up and coming coaches, and VCU will have no trouble finding a young but unproven coach ready to get national exposure for himself and keep the Rams on top of the CAA.

Roll Tide and Go Rams!!!

jangalang · March 28th, 2009, 10:49 PM

	Quote:	TIDE-HSV
	Where the hell have you been, Jeff? A South Seas island somewhere with no TV and no internet?

Not quite.

Yesterday was a blur with coaching baseball practice and a basketball game, then meeting the wife at the movies. My internet was having problems this morning, so it wasn't until I was at the beach on my wife's iphone that I read the great news. I know, I know...no excuses.

BTW, way to handle the negative bluegrass guy.

lorange · March 28th, 2009, 11:04 PM

	Quote:	TIDE-HSV
	Thanks for the post, VCU, particularly for seeing the big picture. We know what it's like to lose a well-liked coach. Most of these guys here don't remember FB HC Thomas leaving for Duke, and only a few remember CM's leaving for UK. Of course, Fran's leaving as FB HC turned out to be karma later on. Hope that doesn't happen here, no matter how many of your brothers might like to see it. Anyway, stick around. The ride should be a good one...

I remember Coach Frank. Loved the guy. But Coach Wallace Wade was before my time. Duke named their stadium after him.

Tennessee · March 28th, 2009, 11:30 PM

Congrats, guys and gals, you got yourself a heck of a coach...I thought the timing of the Billy G firing at KY was not good news for y'all, but it worked out...again, congrats

TIDE-HSV · March 28th, 2009, 11:33 PM

	Quote:
	Duke named their stadium after him.

Caught me in a senior moment...

BamaBackerBill · March 29th, 2009, 12:09 AM

	Quote:	VCUfanHere
	For what it is worth, You guys have landed, what I think is one of the best coaches in the business. Some of our fans are bitter, feel shafted, but I have to give you guys credit from what it sounds it is time for ALabama to make a run at being a National contender in basketball. After watching grant for 3 years now I dont think you could have picked anyone better. Many of us feel that Grant was our key to being the "Gonzaga of the East". In is tenure he got the most out of our players for one. They bought into his system completly. His philosophy is he wants his team to play so hard that you have to ask to come out of the game and believe me he got that out of them. Defensivly, I did not see a more tenecious team all year when things finally clicked 1/2 way through the year. He was in the mix w/the big guys for recruits and had a top 20 PG comming this year. He recruited above the mid-major level as many of us feel that we were/are going to be a top 20 team once his original freshman become seniors. Some might say that he won w/Capel's recruits. What is not mentioned is that Grant took a 19-10 team good for 5th place that lost its leading scorer (Capel's last year @VCU) and the next year right out of the gates broke the CAA record for wins. I watched both Capel and Grant coached teams religiously and Grant is far and above the better coach...count on that. And I was upset to see Capel leave. I dont know anything about your team, who you have next year, but you will land top knotch recruits and it would not suprise me to see an LSU like season next year. I am surly counting on seeing you guys in the top 15 year in and year out from now on. Best of luck to you guys next year, I might be in the minority here in Richmond, but I now have a 2nd favorite team.

Great stuff!!! I didn't think I could be anymore excited about the hire. But you proved me wrong VCUfanHere! Thanks!!! rtr

CrimsonChuck · March 29th, 2009, 01:26 AM

	Quote:	Frozen Sooner
	(VCU had a clause in Capel's contract demanding a home-and-home with whoever hired him away-smart!)

I wonder if Alabama will have to do the same thing?

Ldlane · March 29th, 2009, 01:27 AM

	Quote:	CrimsonChuck
	I wonder if Alabama will have to do the same thing?

I believe so from what I gathered on the VCU board.

TIDE-HSV · March 29th, 2009, 09:28 AM

There seems to be some doubt on the VCU board about whether or not a similar clause was in Grant's. I guess we'll see soon. I'm afraid we might lose at least the first one. I'm hoping Grant can attract the Bledsoe kid, whom I hear is going to have problems getting into his first choice, Duke. I don't like a "pointless" effort...

Ldlane · March 29th, 2009, 11:17 AM

	Quote:	TIDE-HSV
	There seems to be some doubt on the VCU board about whether or not a similar clause was in Grant's. I guess we'll see soon. I'm afraid we might lose at least the first one. I'm hoping Grant can attract the Bledsoe kid, whom I hear is going to have problems getting into his first choice, Duke. I don't like a "pointless" effort...

I think we can take'em! Of course I subscribe to the "Dale Brown School of Eternal Optimism"!

trample-em · March 29th, 2009, 12:00 PM

	Quote:	VCUfanHere
	For what it is worth, You guys have landed, what I think is one of the best coaches in the business. Some of our fans are bitter, feel shafted, but I have to give you guys credit from what it sounds it is time for ALabama to make a run at being a National contender in basketball. After watching grant for 3 years now I dont think you could have picked anyone better. Many of us feel that Grant was our key to being the "Gonzaga of the East". In is tenure he got the most out of our players for one. They bought into his system completly. His philosophy is he wants his team to play so hard that you have to ask to come out of the game and believe me he got that out of them. Defensivly, I did not see a more tenecious team all year when things finally clicked 1/2 way through the year. He was in the mix w/the big guys for recruits and had a top 20 PG comming this year. He recruited above the mid-major level as many of us feel that we were/are going to be a top 20 team once his original freshman become seniors. Some might say that he won w/Capel's recruits. What is not mentioned is that Grant took a 19-10 team good for 5th place that lost its leading scorer (Capel's last year @VCU) and the next year right out of the gates broke the CAA record for wins. I watched both Capel and Grant coached teams religiously and Grant is far and above the better coach...count on that. And I was upset to see Capel leave. I dont know anything about your team, who you have next year, but you will land top knotch recruits and it would not suprise me to see an LSU like season next year. I am surly counting on seeing you guys in the top 15 year in and year out from now on. Best of luck to you guys next year, I might be in the minority here in Richmond, but I now have a 2nd favorite team.

I get pumped up just thinking about seeing Alabama kids playing HARD at both ends, WINNING on the road, listening intently to their tall, in-command head coach as he makes a point during a time-out and Coleman Coliseum jammed -- well, maybe I should stop on that last point.
During C.M.'s era, Wimp's tenure and even during parts of CMG's much-too long time at the helm, the old arena could get full - but never, never consistently. Yeah, I know, "good teams will fill seats." But for the most part, we had good teams during those aforementioned periods and other factors should have favored full houses - i.e., UA's large enrollment and it sitting right in the middle of what was and still is the state's largest population of Bama fans. And yet, our joint was never consistently jammed.
Maybe, just maybe, Coach Grant will put us in a place where hoops tickets will become hard to get for every game, or maybe he, like his predecessors, will contend with that hard-to-fathom phenomenon of too many empty seats at too many games and crowds coming only when a "name" school comes to town.
Nonetheless, I wish him well, and though it is easy on the stomach when Bama is not in the postseason, I'm ready for a little indigestion.
RTR