Bill Battle Explains Process of Firing Anthony Grant

RTR91 said:

Link



Grant wanted to wait? Seems like he wanted out.

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Anthony Grant is a very good person. I think he failed and realized that he wasn't going to get it done here after 6 years of trying. My take is that he did not want to fight the inevitable anymore and let the winds of fate take him to his next opportunity. He will find his place and eventually thrive again.

This is very interesting and makes you wonder how much effort CAG was putting into being successful. Why would a coach not want public confirmation of his job status unless he wanted out?

It seems to confirm the belief that Grant wanted out.

Wow that is very interesting! Kinda feeling like yall, he was setting himself up for the out! Doesn't change any opinion I have at this point pro or con, just interesting!

Late in the season when it was iffy whether or not Grant would be fired, I posted in a thread that I had heard a rumor that might be an indication that Grant knew he was leaving at the end of year. I didn't go into details at that time because it wasn't something that I wanted spread around because I didn't know if it was true or not. Even if it was true it might not have meant anything. The information came to me (second hand) from a former player who had a close connection to the coaching staff under CAG. What I was told then was that Grant had already sold his house and was living in a condo. I don't know if this is true or not and even it if it is true there could be other explanations. However, it fit with everything that I had observed in CAG, that he was unhappy and had no desire to be here. Now this from CBB seems to be another piece of the puzzle.

P.S. I make absolutely NO claims to be any kind of insider.

bamacpa said:

It seems to confirm the belief that Grant wanted out.

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95% of me believes this is the case - based on what I've heard and what I watched. But, there's 5% of me that says, "If he wanted out, why didn't he just quit or resign at the end of the season?" Why would he and Battle both want to attach the "fired" label to Grant?

GreatDanish said:

95% of me believes this is the case - based on what I've heard and what I watched. But, there's 5% of me that says, "If he wanted out, why didn't he just quit or resign at the end of the season?" Why would he and Battle both want to attach the "fired" label to Grant?

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If he quits, he gets no buyout. My thought was if he had sold his house and was so unhappy, why did he not go to Battle last year and negotiate a settlement. Instead he made us suffer though the most miserable season I have ever endured.

RTR91 said:

Grant had about 4 million reasons to get fired rather than quit.

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For $4 million, you can fire me as much and as many times as you want...:smile:

Also explains why he turned down coaching the NIT games as well, dude was done with a capital D! I don't hold any judgement towards him, is what it is. It had to be tough for everyone and I think we all would listen to our agent saying 4 million, 4 million, 4 million.....

When I read that article, my first question is why would Battle even comment on this subject? I thought it was poor taste for him to discuss the intimate details of his firing. None of that did anything to help CAG find another job because, while likely true, Battle basically alludes that CAG quit mid-season. I dont wish any ill-will on CAG at all. I hope he finds peace and success in his life going forward. I expect he will probably take a year off to spend time with his family and re-group after that.

while transparency is a good thing, i believe some things do not need to be discussed. not sure how anyone gained from this interview.

The guy quit on the team and program so he could cash a 4 million dollar check. IMO CBB let him off easy with what was said. He had every right to make it known that CAG basically quit and sold himself out for a check. Hopefully any potential school will take notice. I had heard very similiar things to what another poster alluded to about mid season of Grant wanting out. You could see it in his demeanor and how he did not coach the team hard and put any passion into the games. You may be a great person and a good coach. But if you just quit on your team and your program you are scum to me. Not much lower you can go in my book than that. And he had the nerve to tell CBB to hold off on saying he was coming back but yet held his hand out to get his check on his way out the door.

Good riddance!

We now have a coach whom I dont believe would walk out on a court unless he was going 100% to win and never quit.

Wow... There was some talks about him not being happy here at Alabama because of some things going on... That's why You probablywon't see him back coaching as HC or assistant this year....

Athens-LA-Tide said:

Also explains why he turned down coaching the NIT games as well, dude was done with a capital D! I don't hold any judgement towards him, is what it is. It had to be tough for everyone and I think we all would listen to our agent saying 4 million, 4 million, 4 million.....

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Well I do and I know a LOT of other bball fans that do as well. He didn't handle any of it well. I'm over it though and looking forward to a new Crimson dawn at Coleman.

imauafan said:

Late in the season when it was iffy whether or not Grant would be fired, I posted in a thread that I had heard a rumor that might be an indication that Grant knew he was leaving at the end of year. I didn't go into details at that time because it wasn't something that I wanted spread around because I didn't know if it was true or not. Even if it was true it might not have meant anything. The information came to me (second hand) from a former player who had a close connection to the coaching staff under CAG. What I was told then was that Grant had already sold his house and was living in a condo. I don't know if this is true or not and even it if it is true there could be other explanations. However, it fit with everything that I had observed in CAG, that he was unhappy and had no desire to be here. Now this from CBB seems to be another piece of the puzzle.

P.S. I make absolutely NO claims to be any kind of insider.

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Thank you Simone...

I really believed and think that he tanked it to be let out. Still do even stronger now. I got called a lot of names for saying that on BOL.

Skeeterpop said:

The guy quit on the team and program so he could cash a 4 million dollar check. IMO CBB let him off easy with what was said. He had every right to make it known that CAG basically quit and sold himself out for a check. Hopefully any potential school will take notice. I had heard very similiar things to what another poster alluded to about mid season of Grant wanting out. You could see it in his demeanor and how he did not coach the team hard and put any passion into the games. You may be a great person and a good coach. But if you just quit on your team and your program you are scum to me. Not much lower you can go in my book than that. And he had the nerve to tell CBB to hold off on saying he was coming back but yet held his hand out to get his check on his way out the door.

Good riddance!

We now have a coach whom I dont believe would walk out on a court unless he was going 100% to win and never quit.

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This, without the scum parts. Battle has every right to be ticked after paying him $4 million dollars to pace by the bench. He wasted university time, funds, and, most importantly, a year of these young men's lives by just going through the motions. The truth needed to be out there. It seems to have worked out with the hiring, but can you imagine if it hadn't?

The coaching situation was a hot topic in the family household the last 2 seasons. I argued he needed to go last year and my own mother would argue that he should get another year. Commandment #5 kept popping into my head, so I would politely accept her opinion. Finally, at mid season, she asked me what did I think was going to happen. I told her I thought CAG was gone and that the injuries just exposed him, that he would quietly admit he was in over his head. There are 2 types of head coaches in College basketball, the X's and O's coaches who are great tacticians on game days, and the "talent" coaches who can recruit the best team of players and let them do what they do best together. CAG wasn't strong in either of those categories and we were just going to flounder if they didn't make a change.

And I do know 1 thing for certain. Its kind of funny that I find myself checking the Basketball Board more than the Football Board during Spring Training...... This hire makes me excited for next season and I hope in 3 years CAJ is making Alabama basketball a national headline during March Madness....if not sooner