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.

More From RTI: Fit And Comfortability Led Center Miles Rubin To Tennessee Basketball

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.