Enough already, Bulldogs: Hire Anthony Grant now!
If I’m Damon Evans, I’ve seen enough. I’m on a plane to Richmond today, and I’m scheduling the news conference for Monday, wherein I will introduce Anthony Grant as Georgia’s new basketball coach.
Do I think it will work that way? Nope. I’m guessing the athletics director will feel obliged to conduct what he deems a more “thorough” search. But Evans has had two months now to assess the field, and he’ll not find anyone better suited.
Anthony Grant knows the SEC, having worked under Billy Donovan at Florida. He knows how to recruit, having helped land the signing class — the “Oh-Fours,” those Gators called themselves — that would win consecutive national championships. And he knows how to win on his own, having gone off and done just that.
At Virginia Commonwealth, Grant has taken two Colonial titles and reached the NCAA tournament twice in three seasons. The time he missed, his team was the top seed and lost in the conference semis by two points. If you doubt the Colonial’s bona fides, note that George Mason, which reached the 2006 Final Four, plays there. VCU beat Mason by 21 points in this season’s title game.
There has been talk in Georgia circles that Grant has only piggybacked atop what Jeff Capel began at VCU. Capel made the NCAA tournament once in his four seasons with the Rams. Yes, he left Grant with the splendid guard Eric Maynor, but Maynor was the only senior on this Ram roster. The burgeoning big man Larry Sanders? Grant signed him out of Port St. Lucie, Fla.
If you watched Maynor and Sanders work against UCLA in the Big Dance on Thursday, you saw players who clearly have been coached. The Bruins have been to the past three Final Fours, but Maynor had a shot to beat them at the horn. He’d made that shot two years ago to topple Duke in Round 1, but this time he missed. He missed because Ben Howland, one of the best in the business, double-teamed Maynor on the inbounds.
But here we must credit the man on VCU’s bench: Grant still found a way to get Maynor the ball, and the guard hoisted a reasonable, if contested, shot. Contrast this with Georgia Tech’s behavior against Florida State in the ACC tournament: Paul Hewitt chose to give the ball to a freshman (Iman Shumpert), as opposed to the senior Lewis Clinch, who’d scored 57 points in two days.
This is Evans’ first big hire, and I understand he’d be attracted to bigger names. (An e-mail to Evans inquiring about search criteria went unanswered.) If FoxSports is to be believed, Georgia is prepared to offer Capel $2 million, more than twice what Dennis Felton earned. But Capel’s younger brother Jason told me last week he didn’t see his sibling as Athens-bound. “I don’t think Oklahoma will let him leave,” Jason Capel said.
Know what I say? Good. Sometimes the lesser name is the proper name. Grant seems (at least to me) a better coach than Jeff Capel. Grant seems precisely what Georgia needs.
Let’s recall what Jeremy Foley, considered the best AD in the SEC, did when he needed someone to replace Lon Kruger at Florida. He hired a 30-year-old from Marshall who’d worked under Rick Pitino, and four seasons later Billy Donovan had the Gators in the Final Four.
It’s also instructive that, on the spring day in 2007 that Donovan recanted on his commitment to coach the Orlando Magic, Foley got the word in Richmond, Va. He’d gone there to try to bring Grant back to coach Florida. Evans should take the hint. If a guy’s good enough for the hated Gators, he’s good enough for Georgia.
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196 comments Add your comment
Uga91
March 20th, 2009
6:50 pm
I’m glad that I was the first to mention Mike ANDERSON on this post. He seems like a popular choice for Dawgs in the know. Hey Mark, could you write a column extolling the virtues of Mr. Anderson since he seems to be at least second in the people’s choice poll.
CJ
March 20th, 2009
6:52 pm
Mark,
What do you think the crowd in Athens would think about a D II coach comming to UGA? Would it happen? I doubt it. But we’re throwing all of these names in the pile. I just figured I’d add my 2 cents with ASU.
gp295
March 20th, 2009
6:58 pm
I like Grant seem to be a good coach maybe the one to turn thing around at UGA.
Mark Bradley
March 20th, 2009
7:09 pm
I also doubt it, CJ. But I’m sure Coach Metress welcomes your campaigning.
Police
March 20th, 2009
7:12 pm
Bo, you should be ashamed being in the pool with 7th grade girls and bragging about it. Can’t we remove those remarks?
The hire has to have a major buy out as someone mentioned above. I would rather have the next to best hire if he will stay and develop that legacy rather than use us as a stepping stone.
CJ
March 20th, 2009
7:34 pm
Mark,
I kinda doubt it. Seeing as how he graduated from ASU. The local community isn’t ready to let him leave yet. (That’s considering the product he’s put on the floor at Christenberry Fieldhouse.)
But, I’d argue the point that he’s just as capable as any coach whose name is being tossed about on this blog.
CJ
March 20th, 2009
7:37 pm
Let’s face it, the last time that UGA got a true BIG name to coach the men’s team, the school was left picking up the pieces from Jim Harrick’s tenure.
CJ
March 20th, 2009
7:55 pm
Here’s something else to think about. ASU is 29-4 this season. UGA and Tech have a combined 24 wins this season.
Mike
March 20th, 2009
8:12 pm
We should do what it takes to get Grant right now!. Before Donovan, the Florida program was pretty much on the same level that UGA has been. I think Grant would be a younger version of Tubby and get us to the next level.
Taurus
March 20th, 2009
9:15 pm
I was preaching about Grant about 3 months ago. The metro Atlanta area produces 6-10 top 100 players in the nation every year and UGA never gets any of those players. If UGA could get 3-4 per year they would be a top 15 team in no time. Grant is a good coach, but he also is a good recruiter. You need that combination to be successful at UGA. I saw someone mention Anderson/Mizzou. That’s out of the question. Mizzou has always been a sleeping giant in need of a coach to wake it up. Anderson is an excellent coach, and Mizzou sits 125 miles from Kansas City and St. Louis, which is huge, plus, why would he leave a team that won the Big12 for a rebuilding project? Grant is the answer for UGA and they need to jump on it or keep being at the bottom.
lawton
March 20th, 2009
9:34 pm
damon evans doesnt run ANYTHING at georgia. michael adams is calling the shots. Mark,you sent the coaching criteria email to the wrong department, it shouldve went to the president.
Mark Bradley
March 20th, 2009
9:47 pm
I believe strongly that Damon Evans will make this hire.
lawzoo
March 20th, 2009
10:32 pm
I do not think that he would go to ga. Stegeman Autotorium is a laughable dump.
hop
March 20th, 2009
11:02 pm
i am very concern, since damon evans has already let the cat out of the bag, by stating the he is going to spend millions of dollars on a coach.
he just might make a terrible error in judgement and hire a high profile guy and not be the right choice.
i agree with you mark on this one, and evans needs to get off his duff and go get this guy now,before it is too late!
he will not last very long and you are so right if foley thinks he was good enought to hire,why is damon evans waiting.
do you think evans ego might be the problem!
spotts
March 20th, 2009
11:03 pm
Sometimes the lesser name is the proper name
Dennis Felton from WKU was a lesser name, and it seems like we’re worse off now than post-Harrick
Chuck Uga
March 21st, 2009
12:20 am
JUST HOPING THAT THE ATHLETIC BOARD DOESN’T HIRE LEONARD HAMILTON (CHOKER) OR BOOBY KNIGHT.
Real Deal 2
March 21st, 2009
9:56 am
I think Grant has been told to wait a week or so to see how the KY situation plays out. Donovan goes to UK, you know Foley wants him and Donovan wants him to replace him. No doubt the wheels are turning in Lexington. Grant would prefer Fl over any other SEC job. Just keep this in mind.
tenn.DAWG
March 21st, 2009
10:36 am
Unlike the others,A.Grant wants this job for all the right reasons.I talked to Billy Humphrey’s (the uf guard) right after the CDF firing and she said he was the best coach on the uf staff.The most liked also.
Mark Bradley Makes a Case for Anthony Grant « Football on the Brain
March 21st, 2009
10:54 am
[...] Bradley Makes a Case for Anthony Grant Mark Bradley makes a strong case for Georgia AD Damon Evans to hire VCU’s Anthony Grant to be the next basketball coach at the [...]
Cuz
March 21st, 2009
11:38 am
Hire the Sienna coach. I did not even know it was a University. I thought it was a color in a box of crayons.
» SEC links: LSU faces an Up-Heel challenge John Clay’s Sidelines
March 21st, 2009
11:47 am
[...] Mark Bradley of the AJC writes that Georgia should go ahead and hire Anthony Grant now. [...]
swimdawg68
March 21st, 2009
11:49 am
Mark, I agree completely concerning Grant, but Damon probably is looking for a “name” coach and not a coach that will do the best job.
Cuz
March 21st, 2009
12:22 pm
Enough already, hire Grant so we can get back to the “I haven’t set foot in the Colisieum since that Tractor Pull back in the Seventies” comments.
hop
March 21st, 2009
12:37 pm
EVANS SITS AS “ROME BURNS”.
athensdawg
March 21st, 2009
1:05 pm
D. Evans needs to sit tight and see how things are going to play out.
The last thing we need is another “tease” like we got under Tubby.
We need someone who is going to stay…and the only way to make that happen is to sit and wait while the ‘big boys’ make their moves.
We need to understand that right now we are to SEC basketball what USC is to SEC football…a graveyard for coaches.
Maybe Billy Payne can take a hint from Hootie (USC alum)and start offering some Augusta Memberships to our Basketball Coach. (How else do you think they got Spurrier and Holz???)
SEC links: LSU faces an Up-Heel challenge | MrSEC.com
March 21st, 2009
1:20 pm
[...] Mark Bradley of the AJC writes that Georgia should go ahead and hire Anthony Grant now. [...]
Pitbull
March 21st, 2009
5:08 pm
Hey Mark, lets let Damon Evans and UGA make the call on the next bb coach.
I still remember your man crush on Jim Donnan and how you did not want him to leave UGA.
Glad we did not listen to you then either.
Major Ram
March 21st, 2009
8:39 pm
Grant will probab;y get a bumpp in salary again this year to put him >$1m. Not too bad for a mid-major. The biggest drawback for the UGA job is playing Donovan 2x a year. They speak almost daily and are very good friends. PLus he is friends with Pelphrey @Arkansas..coached together at UF I believe. FYI..Tubby = former VCU asst, CApel HC @ VCU, Grant current VCU HC.I think Sean Miller is a better fit for you guys. But if you offer to one or two others and come to Grnt as a third pick forget it…
p
March 22nd, 2009
4:34 am
Yeah, great, sounds like Felton / Hewitt Part II.
Sign a coach out of the Atlantic 10- anyone but another small school coach.
Brian F.
March 22nd, 2009
9:00 am
BRING BACK TUBBY !!!!!!!!!
seahawk
March 22nd, 2009
10:24 am
The truth is that Dennis can’t recruit. His first year at UGA was full of talent. All he needed was to bring in a couple of new players and he could have avoided the train wreck that followed. Please don’t tell me he left the program better than he found it. If he wasn’t suck a prick on a personal level, then he’d have some recruits and still be employed. Anthony Grant is a good choice, so is Mike Anderson. Here’s one for you, Gary Williams from MD. He’s 63 and would probably stay for 6-7 yrs, long enough to recruit, win and stabilize the program, i’m just sayin….
RedGADawg
March 22nd, 2009
12:05 pm
If GA AD has the big bucks, why not go for the gold! I was very impressed with the Villanova team in play on Saturday. Seems to me the Big East is where we need to go for a DAWG coach. Surely the wealth in Athens can buy one of their names. Most of the Big E schools do not have a cash cow like Bulldog football to front the cost of a major coach. Why look at a BCS BB coach, I know technically Big East (should be “Big Easy”)is BCS in football, most true BCS schools have too much money to outbid, IE Capel at OK. Looks to me as Big E is real deal from top to bottom in BB, unlike ACC. Right coach with big time creds could roll over SEC and local ACC. Take page from MR football recruiting book, lock up top GA talent and then go national for special pieces! Hard to argue with UGA campus appeal, lots of stuff to do, great academic reputation, close to Hot “Lanta! The Dawg fans will fill old Stegeman with a winner. So DE go for the gold, make a splash, do not settle for a Mid Major who will be a repeat of Felton or worse Hewitt at YellaBug land.
RedGADawg
March 22nd, 2009
12:50 pm
This is second try at leaving comment:
DE go for Big East Coach, they are the real deal BB conference, Mid Major in everthing else, should be “Big Easy” in Football! With the Athens $ war chest and total program success go for the Villanova coach, who would not want to leave suburban Philly, band box facility, small campus for a top 50 research institution, domainate public university in state, one of best in Southeast for many more $$$$$! If the new coach brings real creds and takes a MR recruiting attitude by going for best in state and reaching outside of the box for special needs then the SAWG faithful will fill old Stegeman. How can we out dollar a major BCS school like OK, why settle for a mid major like Grant, that is what got UGA and TECH in the situation they are in now. If we beat YellaBugs in state the Athens team can win SEC! If coach can go outside for top talent to blend with instate WOW what are force the DAWGS could be.
JustCallMeChamp
March 22nd, 2009
5:38 pm
I really like Mark Few (if you could get him) and Anthony Grant came within an eyelash of becoming the HC for the 2 time defending NC program. Jeremy Foley has made a couple of excellent coaching hires in his time (see Billy Donovan-2 NC, see Urban Meyer-2 NC, see Becky Burleigh-NC, plus the womens gymnastics, womens softball, womens volleyball, mens golf, track and field, baseball, mens and womens swimming, mens and womens tennis etc etc have all won conference championships or competed for NCs last few years), so I think he knows what he’s doing! I know this, if Billy D left today, A. Grant would be our coach tommorrow.
Longhorn
March 22nd, 2009
6:45 pm
What’s all this blabber about Grant coaching at a “small school”? VCU enrolls 30,000 in the capital city of Virginia and boasts an established medical college. Methinks some folks have been drinking too much SEC/BCS juice. Truth be known, the UGA men’s basketball team probably would have finished in the bottom third of the CAA this year, well behind VCU, George Mason, Drexel, Hostra and Old Dominion. UGA would be very fortunate indeed to lure Grant away from VCU.
Cuz
March 22nd, 2009
7:44 pm
Hey Mark, I went 13-3 on my sweet sixteen. I did not even use a sixth grader. Just a dartboard and a blindfold. Worked pretty good. Well except for Aunt Minnie’s vase. Superglue doesn’t work well if you can’t find all the pieces.
Mark Bradley
March 22nd, 2009
8:09 pm
Tell me about it, Cuz. My mom still hasn’t gotten over me breaking a pitcher — the kind in the kitchen — with a red rubber ball when I was 3 years old.
And I’ve got my Final Four still working, but just about nothing else.
UGA Offers Anthony Grant Head Basketball Coach Job | GeorgiaBulldog.com - Georgia Bulldogs News, Discussion, Schedules & More
March 22nd, 2009
11:35 pm
[...] check out the case for Anthony Grant from Mark Bradley of the AJC. Category : Basketball / [...]
RamsFan
March 23rd, 2009
11:50 pm
While I agree with Mark’s choice and his reasoning for wanting Anthony Grant, those of you that think AG would be so quick to JUMP at any offer from UGA “I think” are living in a dream world. As are those of you that think he’s still living off of Caple’s recruits. Do your homework and then come back here with your comments. How many of you ever heard of Larry Sanders before this year? The wonderful youngster was drawing cartoons, not playing basketball before 10th grade. He had so much bb knowledge at that time he made a basket on the wrong end of the court because he didn’t know they changed ends at halftime. Needless to say, he now has unlimited potential under AG. BTW, regardless of incorrect reports, Maynor was our lone senior, the rest of the starters buy tourney time were sophomores and freshmen.
Read SkinnyJ’s post again, I’d have to agree for the most part with he and Major Ram. At least I’m hoping he will be content with the great situation he has at VCU right now building his name and rep., at least until his ultimate job at Florida or one at a REALLY BIG basketball program comes along. He’s making pretty decent $$$ now and I know for a fact there’s more in the works. He’s treated like a King in Richmond, even by the press (which is highly unusual! ) and I’m told his family loves it here as well.
I also remember and continue to cling to his words at his introduction in the Segal Center 3 yrs ago when he made his comments about turning VCU into the Gonzaga of the East. I can only hope he remains a man of his word. I could be wrong but he doesn’t seem to be the type that will jump from one opportunity to the next without a really good reason to do so. And no offense, but I just don’t see UGA, Alabama or even the UVA options as a big enough jump from VCU. We’re on the move and building a program and a name in basketball. And BTW, we do have the largest enrollment of any university in VA, 31,000+…..
This guy is truly a CLASS act (very hard to find these days) and I’d take him over Jeff Caple and the rest of the egotistical media whores any day of the week. AG can coach, recruit and has the respect of his players, coaches, alum and fans and student support has never been greater. You, or any other school could only be so lucky to lure him away from us. GO RAMS!!!!
Late update: channel 6 news in Richmond says Alabama has contacted coach Grant and there were rumors UGA had offered him the job which was quickly denied by UGA officials. No contact reported by UVA. to date.
Please stay with us at VCU, Coach. We LOVE YOU and will continue to STAND BEHIND YOU!
Scott
March 25th, 2009
3:13 pm
It’s a good read if you replace ever instance of “georgia” with “alabama”. Roll Tide.
Scott
March 25th, 2009
3:14 pm
Ooops. “EVERY” instance.
roswellian
March 25th, 2009
9:30 pm
If Alabama gets Grant, will Georgia go for Mike Anderson at Missouri? I ran across this blurb on a Memphis Tigers basketball forum:
“Anderson @ UGA- Great hire. Although unless help comes soon, it won’t be ‘40 minutes of hell,’ more like 40 minutes of mild inconvenience.”
Mark Bradley
March 25th, 2009
9:36 pm
I think every coach, Anthony Grant and Mike Anderson included, are waiting to see what Kentucky does. We should know soon.
Skeezix
March 26th, 2009
12:27 pm
Mark: Delayed response here….the problem Ga. has in wooing Grant is, I can’t think of one good reason why Grant would leave VCU B-Ball to coach Georgia B-Ball.
Mark Bradley
March 27th, 2009
11:31 pm
Ah, well. The golden Bradley touch is still as deadly as ever. Anthony Grant is now the coach at Alabama.
Big Mike
March 31st, 2009
8:23 am
Its not often that I agree with you However you are on the money with this young man. We need some one who can recruit some of this outstanding talent in the state and get UGA going in the right direction. He knows how to teach and coach. All he needs is black and red on.