Tennessee
Tennessee Basketball Finalizing Deal To Hire Earl Grant As New Assistant Coach | Rocky Top Insider
Tennessee basketball is finalizing a deal to hire former Boston College head coach Earl Grant as an assistant coach, Volquest’s Mike Wilson first reported and a source confirmed to RTI on Sunday night.
Grant fills the void on Tennessee’s coaching staff left by Justin Gainey’s departure to be the new NC State head coach earlier this offseason. It’s unclear whether Grant will have the “associate head coach” title that Gainey had before his departure.
The 49-year old spent the last five years as the head coach at Boston College with the Eagles firing him following an 11-20 campaign this past season. Grant failed to make the NCAA Tournament in his five years at Boston College and posted a 72-92 record over that stretch.
Boston College is widely considered one of the worst jobs in power five basketball due to the lack of resources and the school’s commitment to hockey.
Prior to his time at Boston College, Grant spent seven years as the head coach at College of Charleston. Grant led the Cougars to the 2018 NCAA Tournament, earning a 13-seed and nearly upsetting four-seed Auburn in the opening round of the tournament.
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In Grant’s seven years leading the College of Charleston program, the Cougars posted a 127-89 record. Despite inheriting a program that won just 14 games the year before he arrived, College of Charleston won 24-plus games in three of his seven seasons as head coach.
A Charleston, South Carolina native, Grant has been an assistant coach at The Citadel, Winthrop, Wichita State and Clemson.
While Gainey had extensive ties to the state of North Carolina, Grant has extensive ties to the state of South Carolina.
Rick Barnes’ staff currently includes assistant coaches Steve McClain, Amorrow Morgan, Gregg Polinsky, Bryan Lentz and Grant.
Support staffers includes Director of Basketball Operations Mary Carter-Eggert, Director of Men’s Basketball Sports Performance Garrett Medenwald, Director of Player Personnel/Recruiting Coordinator Lucas Campbell, Director of Video and Analytics Luke Schapker, Director of Strategy Scott Daughtry, Player Development Coordinator Justin Caldwell and graduate assistant Colin Coyne.
Sissy arrived at The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee in 2000, where caretakers began monitoring and managing her osteoarthritis. Sanctuary leaders said a recent progression of the disease caused what they described as “clear signs” of pain and swelling in her right wrist.
JACKSON, Tenn. (WBBJ) – The Tennessee Highway Patrol held an open house Thursday at the THP Jackson District Office in West Madison County for those interested in becoming a state trooper.
Attendees had the opportunity to learn about the various operations of the THP and the roles the department offers.
Trooper Tiffanie Williams said the career comes with competitive benefits and a sense of community responsibility.
“What makes us a good career choice is, one, base your retirement plan is pretty good, your benefits are pretty good. Also, just giving back to the community — we kind of hold ourselves to a higher standard,” Williams said.
For more information about the Tennessee Highway Patrol and how to get involved, click here.
Copyright 2026 WBBJ. All rights reserved.
Tennessee State men’s hockey has once again canceled its inaugural season.
The first ever ice hockey team at an historically Black, public university was expected to begin play in 2025-26, but the season was canceled due to a fundraising shortfall. Now, the team has canceled its 2026-27 season according to a source with knowledge of the situation who wished to remain anonymous because the news is not public.
The Tennessean reached out to Tennessee State president Dwayne Tucker, who decline to comment on the situation.
The Tennessee State’s men’s hockey website does not have a schedule, roster, or any team events listed on its website. The site’s most recent update was July 10 of last year, an announcement about the 2025-26 season cancellation. Requests for additional information about the hockey team have gone unanswered.
This delay in the start of the men’s hockey team comes three years after the team’s inception was announced at Bridgestone Arena ahead of the 2023 NHL Draft. The Nashville Predators and NHL were instrumental in bringing a team to Tennessee State, and a representative with the Predators confirmed that support is ongoing.
While the 2025-26 cancellation followed unrest about the school’s financial situation, it’s unclear if this year’s cancellation is for the same reason or if its related to the school’s recent turmoil in the athletic department.
In May, six coaches gave a vote of no confidence for Tennessee State’s athletic director Mikki Allen. A letter to Dwayne Tucker on May 29 expressed concern about the “current direction, leadership, communication, and operational management of the athletic department” under Allen.
Men’s hockey coach Duante Abercrombie was not among the six coaches mentioned in the letter.
Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. He never uses artificial intelligence when developing or drafting stories. Contact Alex at jdaugherty@gannett.com. Follow Alex on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @alexdaugherty1. Also check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page @tennessean_preds.
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