Anthony Grant returning to Florida Gators

The news that former Florida Gators basketball assistant Matt McCall would take the head-coaching job at Tennessee-Chattanooga on Sunday opened up a spot on Billy Donovan’s coaching staff.

On Monday, Donovan and the Gators filled that opening with a familiar face in former Florida assistant and more recently head coach at Alabama, Anthony Grant.

Grant was a part of Donovan’s coaching staff at Marshall and made the move with Donovan as part of his first coaching staff at Florida in 1996. He served under Donovan until 2006 to take over the basketball program at VCU.

“Pretty easy call, man. It’s all about relationships,” Grant told the school website. “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 complied a 193-110 record as the head coach at VCU and Alabama. He took the Rams to two NCAA Tournaments, including an upset over Duke in 2007. Grant guided the Crimson Tide to one NCAA Tournament berth and three NIT Tournaments.

“I’m looking forward to getting down there and doing what I love to do,” Grant told GatorZone.com. “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.”

Nick de la Torre
A South Florida native, Nick developed a passion for all things sports at a very young age. His love for baseball was solidified when he saw Al Leiter’s no-hitter for the Marlins live in May of 1996. He was able to play baseball in college but quickly realized there isn’t much of a market for short, slow outfielders that hit around the Mendoza line. Wanting to continue with sports in some capacity he studied journalism at the University of Central Florida. Nick got his first start in the business as an intern for a website covering all things related to the NFL draft before spending two seasons covering the Florida football team at Bleacher Report. That job led him to GatorCountry. When he isn’t covering Gator sports, Nick enjoys hitting way too many shots on the golf course, attempting to keep up with his favorite t.v. shows and watching the Heat, Dolphins and Marlins. Follow him on twitter @NickdelatorreGC