Anthony Grant Goes Home to Billy Donovan

imauafan said:

I hope he IS coaching the offense.

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pchil86 said:

Basically floridas old staff is back : Donovan, Pelphrey, Grant

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bamacon said:

Doesn't say much for Donovan's coaching tree.


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In the aftermath of Alabama’s decision last month not to retain Anthony Grant, the coach sat down with his wife to discuss their next move. The most attractive option was to sit out a year and spend time with his family.

The Grants decided they could do that in Gainesville, a place they still called “home.”

But then a spot opened up on Florida coach coach Billy Donovan’s staff and, lo and behold, Grant and the Gators officially were reunited Monday when he was hired to replace outgoing assistant Matt McCall, who Sunday was named head coach at Tennessee-Chattanooga.

For Grant and his family, the developments were as whirlwind as they were fortuitous.

“Pretty easy call, man. It’s all about relationships,” Grant told GatorZone.com of his return alongside not only Donovan, but also assistant coach John Pelphrey, director of basketball operations Darren Hertz, head trainer David “Duke” Werner and executive assistant Tracy Pfaff, each of whom he shared years of success with before embarking on his head-coaching career. “Pretty much everyone in that office is like family to me. So this is like coming home. The way it all worked out? God has a plan.”

Grant accompanied Donovan from Marshall when the staff made the jump to UF in 1996. He remained with the Gators for 10 seasons, leaving in 2006 -- after the first of Florida's two NCAA championships -- to become head coach at Virginia Commonwealth.

In three seasons at VCU, the Rams went 76-25 under Grant, including two NCAA Tournament berths (with an upset of Duke in ’07) and one trip to the NIT. In 2009, Grant was hired at Alabama, where he went 117-85 over the last six seasons, with one NCAA bid and three trips to the NIT.

Now, he’s back.

“Obviously, Anthony is one of my best friends,” Donovan said. “He’s also a great coach.”

Grant’s roots in the state are not limited to UF basketball. He grew up in Miami, starred at Miami Senior High, played collegiately at Dayton before returning to his prep alma mater as an assistant and then embarking on his college coaching career alongside Donovan. As a recruiter, he was instrumental in landing South Florida standouts Brent Wright, Major Parker, Udonis Haslem and Teddy Dupay, a quartet that helped lay the foundation for the Gators rapid ascension to prominence in Donovan’s early years.

Now, his family with wife Christine has grown with four children (three sons, one daughter), with the oldest, Anthony Jr., set to graduate from high school in Tuscaloosa, Ala., and the youngest still in elementary school. The Grants have some personal matters to attend to and some settling in to do.

Eventually (and soon), there will be basketball to deal with.

“I’m looking forward to getting down there and doing what I love to do,” said Grant, who faced the Gators twice during the 2014-15 season, falling 52-50 at home and 69-61 again in second-round play of the Southeastern Conference Tournament. “I have a lot to get familiar with. I’m the new guy coming in. I know Billy and the staff were disappointed with the results last year, but there are some good pieces in place, and the roster, I feel, will be talented next season.”

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Anthony Grant will go from coaching Levi Randolph and Rodney Cooper to working with NBA stars such as Russell Westbrook and possibly Kevin Durant.

Grant will join Billy Donovan's staff with the Oklahoma City Thunder, GatorSports.com reported Thursday night.


An assistant under Donovan at Marshall and Florida before leaving to coach VCU in 2006, the 49-year old Grant rejoined Donovan's staff with the Gators as an assistant in April after being fired by Alabama in March.

Donovan then recently left Florida after 19 seasons as the Gators' coach to take over as the coach of the Thunder, who fired coach Scott Brooks Apr. 22.

The Tide were 117-85 in six seasons under Grant.

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Crimson1967 said:

My local high school recently hired a new football coach for over $100,000 a year. He said God brought him here. I wanted to ask if he is such a great coach, why didn't God send him to a 1A school, where he would make $30,000 a year and also have to coach other sports, cut the grass himself and teach a real class.


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imauafan said:

Then



Now



So I guess Gainsville wasn't "home" after all or did God decide to change His mind about His plan?

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bamahippie said:

OR.....was this His plan all along? Seeing as how they are such good friends, you really think that this all took Grant by surprise?? This move has been rumored since before Grant was let go from Bama.

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imauafan said:

Unless a giant hand appears on the wall spelling out exactly what God's plan is for our lives I don't think its a good idea to go around claiming that this or that is God's plan for us. Especially when you failed on your job, got yourself fired, relied on your previous boss to bail you out of the mess you created, and then turn around and leave again just a few weeks later. I'm being a bit harsh on Grant because if he really truly believed that was God's plan then he would have picked up and moved immediately (ex. Abraham). Keep in mind that statement was made when he moved back to Gainsville, not after Donovan accepted the OKC job.

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RTR91 said:

I don't get why Grant would have moved his family back to Gainesville, though. He supposedly moved back down there to take a year off of coaching. Then, a spot opens up at UF, so Donovan hires him. If Donovan was going to OKC anyway, why would Grant make that move?

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Rama Jama said:

So god directed him to throw games so he could get his buyout. He clearly knew there was something in the works and had checked out long before the season was over. I am told he sold his home here and was living in a condo since early in the season last year.

The shame of it is the kids he coached got cheated.

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Crimson1967 said:

My point is why did God direct him to a six figure job instead of a lower paying position that required a lot more work?


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