Anthony Grant: Should He Stay or Should He Go?
By Chris Hale
The head coaching job for the University of Alabama Men’s Basketball has been a heated and recurring conversation over the past few months on whether Coach Anthony Grant will be here for one more year or if he will be asked to step down at the end of the season. That time is drawing near and we thought we would take a bit and look at both sides of the argument.
From all indications and from all that I have spoken to, Coach Grant is wonderful man and has a great family as well. Sometimes bad things happen to good people. It’s just the nature of the beast in the collegiate sports world. Grant is definitely a defensive minded coach but this season, those numbers have regressed. During the 2012-2013 season, Grant’s Bama team was ranked number 2 in the Southeastern Conference in points allowed per game with 58.4 points. This season, Bama is currently in 7th place allowing 67.9 points a game. On the offensive side of the ball, it’s a completely different story. Bama has ranked in the bottom 4 of the SEC for the past 2 seasons and ranked 250th or worse in total points per game. Anthony Grant does have three 4* basketball recruits coming in for next season. What he will do with that talent is still left open to suggestion. We will be without one of the top SEC players in Trevor Releford when he graduates this year.
A Look at What Is Coming In
Justin Coleman
Point Guard
Birmingham, AL (Wenonah Sch)
Ht: 5-10 | Wt: 146
Coleman is the number 1 ranked player in Alabama
Devin Mitchell
Shooting Guard
Suwanee, GA (Collins Hill)
Ht: 6-3 | Wt: 170
Mitchell is rated as the number 2 player in Georgia
Riley Norris
Small Forward
Albertville, AL (Albertville)
Ht: 6-7 | Wt: 180
Norris is listed as the number 2 player in Alabama
Ricky Tarrant is also ready for action beginning next year after transferring from Tulane. Tarrant had to sit out a year due to the transfer rules. Tarrant was named the Conference USA Freshman of the Tear in 2011-2012 and was named second team all-league this past season after averaging 15.7 points a game, 2.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists this year.
Shannon Terry from BamaOnline made a post today on their board (Free) concerning Anthony Grant and if Terry was the AD of the school, what he would do with the situation. Here is what Terry had to say.
"I was thinking yesterday as I watched the first half of the Auburn game what decision would I make if I was Battle and was required to decide on Grant’s future at Alabama.First, I don’t think Grant has done anything to earn another year at Alabama. Lack of player development, NCAA bids, being elite competitive, draft picks, attendance, promotion and marketing of the Alabama basketball brand all point to moving in another direction.However, considering the parameters around his contract buyout and the fact the decision is more of a 50/50 type move, a solid current base of talent and some real potential with next year’s roster with the addition of transfers and recruits, I would give Grant one more season to get the job done.I would make it incredibly clear to Grant, the players and the public that he has to earn his job — no different than any other professional. Win a couple games in the tournament is what’s expected.Expectations have to be set higher than just getting to the tournament.No one has asked me what I would do, but sometimes continuity pays off. IMO, there’s not a lot of great young and experienced coaches that dream of coaching in Tuscaloosa, so there’s risk with any decision you make as AD.This season was a bomb and it’s time for everyone to call a spade, a spade. No matter what happens in the tournament, I would give Grant one more year. Probably not something he’s earned and certainly not a popular opinion but another year would be my call."
Terry also added later in the linked thread that Grant’s teams have been an offensive train wreck. He suggested hiring a consultant or coach to breakdown the season and rebuild the offensive philosophies. I definitely can agree with what he said about marketing the program to the students and to do a better job with promotions. Look at what Coach Patrick Murphy, Coach Sarah Patterson, and newly hired women’s basketball coach Kristy Curry does ever year with promoting their respective programs. Coach Curry is in her first season at Alabama and will head to Georgia for the SEC Women’s Basketball Tourney next week as the number 7 seed which is the highest seed we have had in that tournament since 1999. Coach Murphy and the softball program always do a spectacular job promoting as does Coach Patterson and the gymnastics team. You have to reach out to these fans and students and let them know that they are appreciated and fire them up to attend these games. Take the lead from one of the above mentioned coaches.
I’ve gone back and forth on the issue of Coach Grant. I want to see this program succeed. My idea of succeeding is not just one trip to the NCAA tournament to lose early. As Terry said, we need to set our sights on something bigger such as making a run of at least a few rounds. I am sure it is correct that just any coach would not take the job here. Support for basketball is always down and after this season, it’s almost nonexistent. If we take the chance for one more year with Coach Grant, how bad will things be if there is another season similar to this one? It could always go the other way and turn out to be a great season. After looking at things realistically, I am not that confident. Mr. Battle definitely will have a difficult decision in the next coming weeks. Will we go in a new direction and try to recover things or do we just ride it out and hope for the best? Buyouts and availability of a proven coach will all be factored into the decision. Should he stay or should he go?