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Dayton Basketball: Anthony Grant brings experience, familiarity to Flyers program

ByCarmine Carcieri|
Mar 17, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Dayton Flyers cheerleaders perform against the Wichita State Shockers during the second half in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 17, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Dayton Flyers cheerleaders perform against the Wichita State Shockers during the second half in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Dayton basketball is hiring Anthony Grant to be their new head basketball coach.

After Archie Miller departed from Dayton, Ohio to take the Indiana Hoosiers head coaching job, the Flyers were in search of their next program leader.

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On Thursday, it was announced that current Oklahoma City Thunder assistant Anthony Grant is the new head coach of the Flyers.

Grant brings an excellent combination of experience and familiarity. The 50-year head coach was an assistant under Billy Donovan at Florida for 10 years (1996-2006) before taking the head coaching position at VCU for three seasons. Grant then left the Rams for a high-major position in Alabama. He stayed there for six years (leading the Crimson Tide to just one NCAA Tournament) before heading to the NBA to coach under Donovan again in OKC. Grant is 193-110 overall in his head coaching career, including three NCAA tournament appearances (two came at VCU).

Because Grant has already coached in the Atlantic 10, he is familiar with the rigors of the conference. It’s not a loaded league but it is one of the more competitive “mid-major” conferences, offering multiple bids to the NCAA tournament.

Grant won’t bring continuity as he will likely add a brand new coaching staff, but there is no doubt that Grant gives Dayton a popular name who has already had success at a high level in college basketball.

In terms of their roster, Grant will be losing Scoochie Smith, Kendall Pollard, Charles Cooke and Kyle Davis, as all four are graduating seniors. However, the Flyers will return Xeyrius Williams, Josh Cunningham, Ryan Mikesell, Sam Miller and Darrell Davis, in addition to adding five new recruits to the picture and 2016 recruit, Kostas Antetokounmpo.

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It will be interesting to see if the Flyers can hold onto those commitments and/or if anyone will opt to transfer out of the program. While Grant is a downgrade from Miller, it was inevitable for this to happen sooner or later. Miller had molded himself into a high-major coach who was eventually going to get scooped up by an elite program. Dayton did well to snag an experienced, well-named coach to minimize the damage.