Hire of Earl Grant May Lack "Wow" Factor, But There Are Reasons For Optimism
On Monday, Boston College made the stunning news that they would be hiring College of Charleston head coach Earl Grant to be their next head coach. This was a name that didn't see much attention throughout the search process, instead most of that focus went to established heavyweights like John Beilein and Thad Matta, or seemingly realistic coaches like St. Bonaventure head coach Mark Schmidt and Cleveland State head coach Dennis Gates.
The initial reaction from many like writer Jeff Goodman and many fans was shock and disbelief. This was not a name that had gotten a lot of buzz, and Grant certainly didn't bring a "wow" factor in terms of his name or resume. In the past two seasons his team's win totals declined (though to be fair the team got decimated from COVID-19 injuries this year, and their best player missed the season due to a knee injury). But the frustration and anger is understandable, after whiffing on the past two hires, BC needed a home run, someone to bring the program out of the dark ages, and on paper Grant's numbers don't pop.
However there may be reasons to like this hire. He's young at only 44, and a player's coach. Grant has won. He has multiple 20 win seasons with College of Charleston, including going 24-9 in 2018-19. He also was part of staffs that won at both Clemson and Wichita State.
During his time at Clemson, he did an excellent job recruiting in Brad Brownell's staff. He was responsible for 10 of 15 recruits that committed to the Tigers during his tenure, including KJ McDaniel who won ACC Defensive Player of the Year. He also put two College of Charleston players in the NBA, something that has only happened two other times in the school's history.
Speaking of defense, Boston College really struggled with it under former head coach Jim Christian. If Grant can bring his coaching style from College of Charleston, this should be something that drastically turns around with the Eagles. His defenses at CoC were consistently some of the best in the Colonial Athletic Association, only allowing 69 points per game last season.
There may be some worry about this hire, and that is justified. Now the next big move will be Grant hiring his assistants. According to Pete Thamel, the pool will be expanded, so he may be to grab some impressive names to his bench, and hopefully improve recruiting. If he can land some excellent recruiters, Grant could set himself up for success and get the program headed in the right direction.
In the end we are going to have to take a "wait and see" approach with Grant. It's easy to blast a decision, but this move may take some patience. His first step to win over the Boston College faithful will be at his introductory press conference on Tuesday. Stay tuned.
