By Shane from Centerpoint
With the introduction of Anthony Grant as the new head coach of the Alabama basketball program, the university has hired one of the best young coaches in America – at least according to most of the experts and well known basketball consultant C.M. Newton. During the process, the Alabama fan base also made major strides toward dispelling the national perception that race plays a factor in whom they want to run their basketball program. Two candidates were at the top of both the search committee’s and the fans’ minds from the start – and both were African-American. The only criteria coming from the Crimson Empire was to hire the best “proven” head–coach available. Anthony Grant met that criteria, and just happens to be black.

Alabama has finally joined a long list of major colleges who are smart enough to understand that there are some fantastic young African-American head coaches, located among the ranks of college basketball coaches, who have the potential to be championship caliber. All most of them need is a chance to lead a top–tier program. Crimson Tide basketball has taken a step towards regaining national respect by giving Coach Grant a shot.

Only Auburn, Florida, South Carolina and Vanderbilt remain as universities who’ve never had a black head–coach in either men’s football or basketball. Coach Grant is Alabama’s first.

If the truth be known, Grant was wooed by Georgia, Virginia, and probably twice by Florida. In other words, he was a wanted man. The Alabama job came open at the right time for this young, aspiring coach who appears ready to take the Tide program to a higher level than the former coach was able to obtain.

His record speaks for itself. He is 76-25 in three years as the head coach of VCU. He won the conference crown all three years and took them to the NCAA tournament two of the three. In his three seasons he averaged a 25-8 record. His stint at VCU followed ten years spent as the top assistant and number one recruiter for Florida’s two-time national championship coach, Billy Donovan. Many say he was Donovan’s right-hand man.

Grant runs a style that should fit very well with the athletes currently on the squad as well as the athletic type of player that the state of Alabama usually produces. His team runs and presses like Mike Anderson’s and plays a fast–break game like we’ve seen from Billy Donovan coached teams.

This hire gives the indication that Alabama is ready to join other major athletic programs who desire to produce championship results on the football field and the basketball court. Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, and others are signing the best athletes in both sports. Alabama can now be included in that mix.

The pundits assure us that Grant knows the game and has the ability to coach on the court when the heat is on. However, his best asset may be his ability to recruit big–time talent. That knack was never more apparent than when he was at Florida. He has been credited with signing most of the best players who lead Florida to back-to-back national crowns.

If Grant is able to lock down the State – which is loaded with enough talent every year to sustain a strong basketball program – and grab an elite player or two from the national scene, he could possibly be the man to lead Alabama to the “Final Four” for the first time in the history of the program. Who knows, he may take them farther than that.

One thing is for sure. Alabama’s basketball program has been “missing something”, a fact that has kept them mired in mediocrity for too long. Now it is time for Anthony Grant to earn his money and give the Crimson Nation a basketball team they can follow with the same legendary passion that they have for football.

Categorized in : misc

23 thoughts on “Shane: Hiring of Grant is historic”

  4. Shane ………..You are “full of crap”….As usual. This article “Made no sense” to me . Bama will not be the “bell cow” in mens basketball.

    Why di you have to put “everything” in quoptations ?

    Just wondering.

  5. Ballplay Indian…

    “Quoptations”, or “quotation marks”, are used for quotes, words, or phrases attributed to others — or just for emphasisizing popularly-used terms, as in “full of crap”. It’s a shame the article “made no sense” to you. Try re-reading it. Whether or not you’re a Bama fan, it should make sense.

  6. Anyone know the top three best-selling hats in Aubarn (AL)?

    3. White Aubarn hat.

    2. Aubarn straw hat.

    1. A Klansmen hood!

    😀

  7. jaydeer………You are a “grammer cop” arent you. Dont be a “dooshbag” by trying to be Shanes english tuder. And yes I know my “spelling” stinks.

    “Understand”?

  8. 36-0 ……..Dont quit your “day job” . Your comedy is really “bad”…..

    And jay…….I am not a bama fan.

  9. To Auburnisajoke…

    No, I’m no grammar cop — was merely responding to your “full of crap”, “made no sense”,”critique” of a really fine article on Bama’s new hire.

    And, yes, I think I fully “understand” you and what you’re trying to say, but don’t agree with you.

    Also, if you’re not an Alabama fan, why do you bother to comment on an Alabama success story with your derogatory remarks? THAT’s what “makes no sense”.

  11. For the record, BAMA is the second winningest basketball program in SEC history. The only thing missing is a NC. Grant will bring that home while the barners will still be yelling about how close they are to the SEC title. I don’t mind Auburn. But to the Barners, learn your place. Stick to swimming and diving. Leave the big sports to the big boys. And once and for all. When BAMA fans are blogging, read the comments, get your dictionary out so you can look up the tough words, and you just might learn something.

    P.S. For the record, your coaches are Jeff Lebo and Gene Chizik. Seriously, I can’t make up anything funnier than that. Laughing my !!! off in Tennessee.

  12. WOW Wayne ya think it will happen by 2010?? BB NC hahahahahaha WONT HAPPEN ANYTIME SOON!!!
    And the Article/Blog was shit. I just wish he would stop using the term “PUNDITS”, He heard Tim Brando say it 8 months back and cant stop using it!
    DUDE its like the Mullet …let it go!
    And Shane quit acting like you/uat have done something historical by hiring a Negro coach! Can you say token???? They only care about Saban, They would have hired a woman if the PUNDITS said it was cool!!! hahahahha PUNDITS!!! Fag!

  13. Aahhhhh…..I knew that pompous bammer arrogance would eventually come out. Ya’ll finally hire a black coach (which you passed up the first legitimate opportunity back when hiring Shula over Croom…which neither worked out…but who knew then) and suddenly everyone else is a sheet wearing racist. Now that’s funny. By the way, stubby is 1-1 against Auburn, 3-4 if you combine his Days at lsu, and Lebo is 5-5 against the tide. I must have missed the joke, Wayne.

  14. Aubarnsux,

    Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t Tuberneck 7-7 overall against Alabama, six of those victories coming during our worst period. Funny how the worse off we got, the better off the barn got, and the better off we got, the worse off the barn got.

    Enjoy your irrelevant “3-4” record while it lasts, because “stubby” won’t be losing to you racist rednecks (who have yet to hire an African American coach), or Mr. 5-19 (5-19 seriously?) Coach Cheez-it no time soon. By the way, Aubarn is also Alabama’s bitch considering WE OWN the all-time head to head record (in football and basketball and even baseball)!

    36-0 will seem like a walk through Disney Land compared to what is to come.

    By the way, it’s “y’all” as in “you all”; not “ya’ll”, redneck.

  15. “Jaydeer”………”point taken”………

  16. “Jaydeer”……what alabama “success story”??? You hired a black coach. He hasn’t coached the first game at bama. How do you know it’s a success story???? I guess Obama has redefined success. Talk about judging somebody by their skin color and not the content of their character, or, in this case, by how many games they may win.

    You are a fool if you buy into this crap.

  17. “bamasux sux”
    Why do you bring “color” into this equation that equals success? Alabama went after ONLY ONE coach and got him! VOILA! A SUCCESS STORY! A “proven” head coach was the main criteria. Look at AG’s credentials! I’m not going to repeat them again. Read the column above – if you didn’t get it. Character? Do some research and read what has been said about this guy from h.s. graduation through his last job at VCU.
    I don’t know why I even bother to respond to such ignorant, baseless, comments.

  19. I HAVE KNOWN FOR YEARS YOU DIDNT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT FOOTBALL. INBRED SHANE I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU.WHO DRIVES YOUR ICE TRUCK? ANYONE STUPID AS YOU ARE CANT HAVE A DRIVERS LICENSE. HIRING A BLACK TO COACH BASKETBALL IS NOT HISTORIC SPARKY.

  20. Larry C the Racist Aubarn (AL) Incest,

    Sounds to me like you have little man’s syndrome (along with 90% of the Aubarn (AL) family who’s overshadowed by Alabama of course). Does everyone in your Wire Road trailer park suffer from that?

    You’ll soon realize how “historic” this hiring is just as soon as Alabama starts another seven + win steak over just as Mark Gottfried once had.

    By the way, typing in ALL CAPS is what “stupid” people do, stupid.

    36-0! Got Saban? Got Anthony Grant? Got Gene Cheez-it?

    I swear jealousy and envying Alabama is the thread that holds your backwoods program together.

  21. Shane has started something with the “quotations”………..Its gold Jerry……Gold I tell ya !

  22. Man I am glad I started coming here. I have real good friends who are bammers and this place helps me prove a point about bummers, This site is whats GOLD BI! bunch of squirles all trying to eat the same damn nut …..

    WAR POLYTECH SISSYS

  23. It’s funny how Auburn is all of a sudden racist when Bammer finally decides to hire an African-American coach. I am pretty sure Gov. Wallace stood on your all’s doorstep when he made his famous racist declaration.

    I wouldn’t be knocking Lebo too much Bammers… he has gone 5-1 against your precious Tide the past 3 years. And with a new arena on the way as an invaluable recruiting tool for Auburn, things will be an uphill climb for Coach Grant.

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