FloridaGatorforLife
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ATLANTA — Minus one epiphany by a two-time national championship basketball coach, and LSU's basketball search would not be so focused on a rising young coach in Richmond, Va.
Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley flew to Richmond last June after Gators coach Billy Donovan accepted the Orlando Magic head coaching job.
He was going to hire 41-year-old Anthony Grant, who had just finished his first year as Virginia Commonwealth's coach after 12 years as Donovan's assistant — 10 at Florida and two at Marshall before that.
VCU finished 28-7 last season, winning the Colonial Athletic Association regular season title with a 16-2 mark. Then the Rams won the CAA Tournament and advanced in the NCAA Tournament with a 79-77 win over Duke before losing to Pittsburgh in overtime.
"Obviously a big-time coach, but he's even a bigger-time person," Foley said Thursday after Florida lost to Alabama in the first round of the Southeastern Conference Tournament. "He's as fine a person as I've ever been around. Works his butt off. Players love him. I've seen how he can recruit."
Grant was instrumental in recruiting the talent that helped Donovan win national championships in 2006 and 2007. Grant, a 6-foot-5 forward at Dayton, also coached the Gators' inside players, including 2007 NBA lottery picks Joakim Noah and Al Horford.
"Oh no, he wasn't just a recruiter," Foley said. "He and Billy did everything together — player relations. He was Billy's scout, confidant, sounding board. I mean, he's the whole package."
So Foley composed a list of one for his search to replace Donovan.
"That's what I saw, and that's why a year ago for a short time that we had a vacancy, that's who we were going to talk to," Foley said. "But I didn't get a chance to do that."
Donovan changed his mind and came back to Florida.
"I was up there (in Richmond)," Foley said. "And then I got a phone call from Billy."
And Grant remained at VCU, which he has directed to a 24-7 record this season and once again won the Colonial title with a 15-3 mark. The Rams lost in the league tournament this week and are on the NCAA Tournament bubble. An LSU plane could now soon be bound for Richmond, thanks to Donovan. Donovan has avoided questions about Grant's coaching prowess and possible new jobs. But when VCU hired Grant from him after the 2005-06 national title, Donovan was candid.
"One of the greatest coaching coups that VCU could ever have possibly dreamed of," Donovan told reporters at the time. He also expressed surprise that it took so long for someone to finally hire Grant as a head coach.
"He's a person that has it," said Florida associate athletic director Greg McGarity, who is a finalist for the LSU athletic director job that Skip Bertman will leave on June 30. "People talk about the 'it' factor. He's just a person who has 'it'. He's first class in everything he does. He never cuts corners. He's honest, trustworthy — he's what you look for in a coach.
Great family man. He did a phenomenal job on Billy's staff."
He was a phenomenal recruiter. But all of Billy's coaches did it all."
Sharing duties with Grant under Donovan at Marshall and then Florida was John Pelphrey, who left the Gators to be the head coach at South Alabama from 2003-07 and is now in his first year as Arkansas' coach.
"Anthony Grant — there's not a better human being, there's not a better coach," Pelphrey said Friday after his team reached a SEC Tournament semifinal against Tennessee today with an 81-75 victory over Vanderbilt.
"There's not a better guy that you want representing any organization.
"I'm not sure there's anyone in the country better than Anthony in total package. He's got it — presence, gift to relating to all people, high, high intellect, basketball IQ. He's just a ridiculous human being. There are no flaws. He's flawless."
Florida junior guard Walter Hodge was recruited by Grant out of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.
"I thought he was going to be our coach last year for a few days," Hodge said after the Alabama game Thursday. "It was going to be the same thing as with coach Donovan I thought. He's just like Coach Donovan — the same style. You can trust him. He helps you a lot. He's hard on you and he'll tell you when you do something wrong. He makes you better. He would be a great coach in the SEC."
Grant would also be the first black head coach at LSU in one of the two major sports — football and men's basketball. So would interim coach Butch Pierre, who is expected to be interviewed.
"It doesn't matter to me what color he is," said Collis Temple II, who was the first black basketball player at LSU in the early 1970s. "It's more important that we have the best coach we can have, whether that's black, white or polka dot."
But Temple said if LSU's hire happens to be black, it would be a tremendous plus in recruiting for basketball, as well as other sports.
"Obviously that would serve LSU," he said. "It's a real advantage when the lead person of a basketball program is African American when the majority of the players are African Americans. He could serve as a real role model.
Having a person of color at such a high position would send a message that LSU has taken the next step. It would help in football recruiting, track and field and baseball and all sports. And maybe the Greg Monroes and D.J. Augustins would take a harder look at LSU and you wouldn't run the risk of losing them."
Monroe, who is an African American, is considered the No. 1 power forward in the nation out of Helen Cox High in the New Orleans area. He chose Georgetown over LSU several months ago. Augustin, who is also black, signed with Texas in 2006 after first committing to LSU. But he changed his mind after his family's home was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.
"It would be a win-win situation for LSU to hire an African American coach," Temple said. "I think Anthony Grant is certainly a viable candidate, but I have to tell you that Butch Pierre should absolutely get a serious look."
http://gatorsports.com/article/20080314/NEWS/116227235/1016
Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley flew to Richmond last June after Gators coach Billy Donovan accepted the Orlando Magic head coaching job.
He was going to hire 41-year-old Anthony Grant, who had just finished his first year as Virginia Commonwealth's coach after 12 years as Donovan's assistant — 10 at Florida and two at Marshall before that.
VCU finished 28-7 last season, winning the Colonial Athletic Association regular season title with a 16-2 mark. Then the Rams won the CAA Tournament and advanced in the NCAA Tournament with a 79-77 win over Duke before losing to Pittsburgh in overtime.
"Obviously a big-time coach, but he's even a bigger-time person," Foley said Thursday after Florida lost to Alabama in the first round of the Southeastern Conference Tournament. "He's as fine a person as I've ever been around. Works his butt off. Players love him. I've seen how he can recruit."
Grant was instrumental in recruiting the talent that helped Donovan win national championships in 2006 and 2007. Grant, a 6-foot-5 forward at Dayton, also coached the Gators' inside players, including 2007 NBA lottery picks Joakim Noah and Al Horford.
"Oh no, he wasn't just a recruiter," Foley said. "He and Billy did everything together — player relations. He was Billy's scout, confidant, sounding board. I mean, he's the whole package."
So Foley composed a list of one for his search to replace Donovan.
"That's what I saw, and that's why a year ago for a short time that we had a vacancy, that's who we were going to talk to," Foley said. "But I didn't get a chance to do that."
Donovan changed his mind and came back to Florida.
"I was up there (in Richmond)," Foley said. "And then I got a phone call from Billy."
And Grant remained at VCU, which he has directed to a 24-7 record this season and once again won the Colonial title with a 15-3 mark. The Rams lost in the league tournament this week and are on the NCAA Tournament bubble. An LSU plane could now soon be bound for Richmond, thanks to Donovan. Donovan has avoided questions about Grant's coaching prowess and possible new jobs. But when VCU hired Grant from him after the 2005-06 national title, Donovan was candid.
"One of the greatest coaching coups that VCU could ever have possibly dreamed of," Donovan told reporters at the time. He also expressed surprise that it took so long for someone to finally hire Grant as a head coach.
"He's a person that has it," said Florida associate athletic director Greg McGarity, who is a finalist for the LSU athletic director job that Skip Bertman will leave on June 30. "People talk about the 'it' factor. He's just a person who has 'it'. He's first class in everything he does. He never cuts corners. He's honest, trustworthy — he's what you look for in a coach.
Great family man. He did a phenomenal job on Billy's staff."
He was a phenomenal recruiter. But all of Billy's coaches did it all."
Sharing duties with Grant under Donovan at Marshall and then Florida was John Pelphrey, who left the Gators to be the head coach at South Alabama from 2003-07 and is now in his first year as Arkansas' coach.
"Anthony Grant — there's not a better human being, there's not a better coach," Pelphrey said Friday after his team reached a SEC Tournament semifinal against Tennessee today with an 81-75 victory over Vanderbilt.
"There's not a better guy that you want representing any organization.
"I'm not sure there's anyone in the country better than Anthony in total package. He's got it — presence, gift to relating to all people, high, high intellect, basketball IQ. He's just a ridiculous human being. There are no flaws. He's flawless."
Florida junior guard Walter Hodge was recruited by Grant out of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.
"I thought he was going to be our coach last year for a few days," Hodge said after the Alabama game Thursday. "It was going to be the same thing as with coach Donovan I thought. He's just like Coach Donovan — the same style. You can trust him. He helps you a lot. He's hard on you and he'll tell you when you do something wrong. He makes you better. He would be a great coach in the SEC."
Grant would also be the first black head coach at LSU in one of the two major sports — football and men's basketball. So would interim coach Butch Pierre, who is expected to be interviewed.
"It doesn't matter to me what color he is," said Collis Temple II, who was the first black basketball player at LSU in the early 1970s. "It's more important that we have the best coach we can have, whether that's black, white or polka dot."
But Temple said if LSU's hire happens to be black, it would be a tremendous plus in recruiting for basketball, as well as other sports.
"Obviously that would serve LSU," he said. "It's a real advantage when the lead person of a basketball program is African American when the majority of the players are African Americans. He could serve as a real role model.
Having a person of color at such a high position would send a message that LSU has taken the next step. It would help in football recruiting, track and field and baseball and all sports. And maybe the Greg Monroes and D.J. Augustins would take a harder look at LSU and you wouldn't run the risk of losing them."
Monroe, who is an African American, is considered the No. 1 power forward in the nation out of Helen Cox High in the New Orleans area. He chose Georgetown over LSU several months ago. Augustin, who is also black, signed with Texas in 2006 after first committing to LSU. But he changed his mind after his family's home was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.
"It would be a win-win situation for LSU to hire an African American coach," Temple said. "I think Anthony Grant is certainly a viable candidate, but I have to tell you that Butch Pierre should absolutely get a serious look."
http://gatorsports.com/article/20080314/NEWS/116227235/1016
