Donovan supports Grant

By KEVIN BROCKWAY and BRANDON ZIMMERMAN
Sun sports writers
June 01. 2007
www.Gainesville.com

Florida's search for a new men's basketball coach will begin with Anthony Grant.

Gators athletics director Jeremy Foley is expected to meet with Grant on Saturday regarding the head coaching permission, sources close to the situation told The Sun.

Grant was an assistant under Donovan for 10 years before taking the head coaching job at Virginia Commonwealth prior to last season. Grant led the Rams to a 28-7 record and an NCAA Tournament berth.

Donovan gave Grant a strong endorsement when asked about who his successor should be Friday morning at his introductory news conference in Orlando.

"The one guy I feel very strongly about is Anthony Grant," Donovan said. "When you look at the success we were able to have at Florida over the last 11 years, he was a very strong instrument in that success because he was there 10 of the 11 years I was there.

"But this is really the University of Florida's decision. It's Jeremy's decision. Jeremy knows Anthony very well."

Foley will not comment on the coaching search until it is completed.

Grant, 41, served as Donovan's top aid in all phases of coaching, including recruiting, on-floor coaching, scouting, and practice planning at Florida before taking over the VCU program last season. Grant played a key role in helping the Gators to the 2006 NCAA title, the 2005 and 2006 Southeastern Conference Tournament titles, three SEC Eastern Division titles and back-to-back SEC Championships in 2000 and 2001.

The 1999 and 2000 teams made the first back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances in school history and the 2000 squad made UF's first appearance in the National Championship game.

The Gators have reached eight straight NCAA Tournaments, capped by the national title in 2006 in which Florida became the first team since the 1968 UCLA Bruins to win both the national semifinal and the final by 15+ points. The Gators are 226-98 (.698) during Grant's 10-year stint in Gainesville. Grant had been an integral part in the recruiting and coaching of nine McDonald's All-Americans and four NBA first-round draft choices. Four of the past seven signing classes for the Gators had been ranked in the top five in the nation by every major recruiting service.

Grant led VCU to a 28-7 record and an upset of Duke in the first round of the NCAA Tournament this past season.

Before making the journey to Florida, Grant spent two years at Marshall, also under Donovan, helping the Thundering Herd to a 35-20 record. Grant also served as an assistant for a single season at Stetson, after wrapping up a seven-year stint as a prep coach in Miami. At the high school level, Grant's teams captured three state titles, five straight national rankings in USA Today and an overall record of 172-11.

Prior to joining the coaching ranks, Grant spent his collegiate playing career at the University of Dayton (1983-87), guiding the Flyers to a 70-49 (.588) overall mark, a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances, and one National Invitational Tournament berth. In his 105 appearances in a Flyer uniform, Grant registered 11.6 points and 6.7 rebounds each time out and was named the team's Most Valuable Player as a senior.

Grant is married to the former Christina Harrell of Miami. They have three sons, 10-year-old Anthony, 5-year-old Preston and Makai, 11 months. Their daughter, Jayda Danielle, is four years old.