Anthony Grant Press Conference Transcript
3/29/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 29, 2009
Director of Athletics Mal Moore
Opening Statement:
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much for joining us this evening. I want to thank so many members of our university community for coming today, for what I think is a very exciting and significant moment for Alabama athletics and Crimson Tide basketball. I think it is very important that we have 10 members of the Board of Trustees here today. That speaks volumes about this university and I want to thank them for being here. There were many people involved in this process and I think that really shows the unity of our university and of our athletic department. I can truly, truly say that Dr. Witt was unbelievable in his support of the athletic department and in his support of me. When he met with Anthony Grant and Chris he was at his very best. Dr. Potera, he's not here today and I'm sorry he was unable to make it, but Coach he is the Chancellor of the university system and he doesn't miss a basketball game. He's always there.
I want to say to Coach Saban how much I appreciate his effort and support of this hire and the time that he spent with Anthony. I don't think I've told Coach how excited Anthony was when he came back to my office and how much he felt you could be supportive of each other. I want to say to all of you how much I appreciate Dave Hart and his efforts. When we decided on Anthony as the one we wanted, we turned our guns toward him and Dave did an excellent job and Dave I appreciate that very much. I want to thank John Gilbert. John can do anything. Dr. Finus Gaston and Kevin Almond were very supportive, Doug Walker what a great job he always does and I appreciate their efforts.
Today we are here to welcome a new coach, a championship coach to lead our program. Whether serving as a role model for student athletes, or a person who sets the tone for his team, or a person who will bring a desire, a drive, or a vision that matches what we are about at Alabama. It was apparent early on that Anthony Grant was the right man for this job. In Anthony Grant we have been fortunate to find a man who believes in developing student athletes who can compete on the court and in the world after they leave his charge. We are seeking a winner, a coach who not only has proven winning experience as a coach, but also as a winner in life. Coach Grant is a tremendous family man who also is a mentor and a teacher for his student athletes. It is my great pleasure to now introduce the men's basketball coach at the University of Alabama, Anthony Grant.
Head Coach Anthony Grant
Opening Statement:
"To say that I am honored would be an understatement. I want to start off by thanking Dr. Witt, Mal Moore, Dave Hart and the University of Alabama for giving me this opportunity. I'd be remiss if also I didn't offer special thanks to Virginia Commonwealth University, the president there Dr. Trani, the former AD Dr. Dick Sanders and the current AD Norwood Teague for their trust, their belief and for the opportunity they presented me three years ago. For the run that we had there, I am eternally grateful.
At this time, I would like to introduce my family. I think without my wife none of this would be possible. I think we all know that when things really need to get done, they are the ones who get it done. My wife Christina, Anthony, Jr., Preston, Jayda and Makai.
I spent 10 years at the University of Florida and during my time there we were able to see a lot of success and did some great things. When I left Florida, people asked me, "why VCU?" Some people thought the natural progression would be to try to go to a bigger name school and to me it was a lot different than that. There was a tradition and a history at VCU of success. There was a leadership in place there that was committed to being the best, not only athletically, but academically and in the community. There was a structure in place that was committed to winning. I felt like all the resources were there to be successful. Three years later we were able to be just that.
For me to leave the situation I had at VCU it was going to take a special situation, and I look at every situation the way I did going to the VCU situation. When Coach Moore and Dave Hart contacted our A.D. at VCU to request permission to speak, obviously having 10 years experience in this league I knew what Alabama represented. I knew the history, I knew the tradition and I knew of the success. Once I had a chance to sit down with Coach Moore and Dave Hart, immediately I knew that the leadership, commitment and what it took to build a championship program was in place. Once I had a chance to visit campus and meet with Dr. Witt, I was pretty much sold in terms of the most important thing in being successful to me is the people. When you have the right people in place you can do some special things. Everybody knows this, leadership starts at the top. It doesn't start at the bottom and trickle up, it starts at the top and goes down. I was extremely impressed with their leadership and commitment to what it takes to be successful.
I also have to give a lot of credit to Coach Gottfried and his 11-year run here and what he was able to accomplish. I think he raised the bar for Alabama basketball and what potentially could happen here. Five NCAA Tournaments and an Elite Eight appearance, one step away from the goal of every coach, the opportunity to play for a National Championship, that was accomplished here. A lot times I think with any person that wants to be successful and has drive, sometimes there has to be someone that does it first, that has the vision to believe that things can happen. For players, being in this program and knowing that you're in a program that is the second most winning program in the history of the Southeastern Conference, has played for championships, has been able to place over 40 guys at the professional level, that speaks volumes for what this program is about. That speaks volumes for the players, coaches and everyone that has come through this program.
I'd also be remiss if I didn't offer thanks to Coach Philip Pearson and the other assistant coaches once the decision was made to go in a different direction for the job they did in keeping the team together and improving over the course of the year. I think all of you that follow Alabama basketball this year saw a group of guys that took great pride in putting that jersey on and going out there and making every effort they could to win. I think that's a credit to Coach Pearson and the other coaches here for their commitment and dedication to this university. To me, that speaks volumes to the pride that everyone has in this university and representing the University of Alabama.
A lot was said about the decision making process and how it took place. I know for you this has been a long process to get to this point. For me, it was very quick process. I will kind of go through with you how that process took place. We played in the NCAA Tournament on a Thursday. Obviously, we got beat. We came home on Friday. Saturday afternoon I got a call from my A.D. saying that Coach Moore and the University of Alabama requested permission to speak. On Sunday we were in conversations at my home, and as I said, it was extremely impressive.
I believe it was Wednesday that my wife and I were able to get on campus and have an opportunity to visit with a lot of people, a lot very impressive people that really opened our eyes to the passion that people have for this university. Really, the decision maker is my wife. We got on the plane to go back home and she was very excited about the things she had seen and the people she had met. A lot has been talked about of the different opportunities that were out there. On Friday morning, after being here on Wednesday, my wife and I spent the next 24 to 48 hours in a lot of discussions, in terms of what we thought was best.
Just like you all were aware of the different opportunities that were out there, my family and I were as well. I had a conversation with my oldest son and I explained to him the opportunity that Alabama presented, the opportunity to be significant and accomplish some things that have not been accomplished, to sort of blaze your own trail, compared to some opportunities that the media and I think everybody thought may have been attractive and maybe something that caused us to pause. I placed a phone call to Dave Hart somewhere around 10 a.m. (Friday) and said "Dave, I want to be the head basketball coach at the University of Alabama; I'm committed to doing that." We worked through some details that needed to be worked through and that evening it was made public to everyone of the decision that had been made. I saw that to let you know that my commitment and my belief in this university is extremely strong. This is my first choice. This is where I want to be. This is where I think we can do some special things. I think anybody that has any drive and any passion for anything, what it comes down to is that you want be significant and make a difference. I feel like with this opportunity at Alabama we are in position where we can do that, and that excited me tremendously.
One of the things that people talk about at Alabama is the magnitude of football, the overwhelming magnitude of football. Now, I'm a little different. I love college football fan. I am a huge college football fan. My freshman year at the University of Dayton, I'm from Miami, Florida, I was a long way away from home, there wasn't much going on and there was about two feet of snow on the ground outside. My saving grace was watching my favorite team at the time, the Miami Hurricanes play for a national championship. I was hooked ever since.
Coach Saban doesn't know this, but when he won a national championship at LSU, there was something he said to his team before that game that my guys will hear a lot. His comment before the game was, "play to the identity that we've created all year." People talk about Alabama being a football school. Alabama is a football school. Alabama is a basketball school. Alabama is a gymnastics school. Alabama is a baseball school. Every sport at Alabama is provided the resources and given the commitment that it needs to be extremely successful. I think that is what every coach wants. That's what any coach could ever ask for, the opportunity to compete for championships and be provided that commitment and the resources to get that done. I think that summarizes what this university is all about.
My vision is the same vision that Billy Donovan had 13 years ago when he decided to go to the University of Florida. People told him that Florida wasn't a basketball school and that it couldn't be done there in basketball. There was a commitment from the top all the way through that organization that it could be done. When I look at the model of Florida or schools like Texas and Oklahoma, there is proof positive that it can be done, and when you have a commitment through the administration and through the coaching staff, you have a chance to do some special things. I am a Nick Saban fan. I love college football. When my son saw the stadium his eyes lit up. I think he was more excited when he saw the football stadium than he was when he saw the basketball stadium. We are really excited and I think the commitment here that everyone has to make this program special all the way through is evident.
Having an opportunity to become the first African-American at a major sport at Alabama is something that I don't take lightly. It is a tremendous honor. When you think about the success of former players and coaches, the road that was paved to make this opportunity possible I am eternally grateful. During my visit on Wednesday I had a chance to sit down with Coach C.M. Newton, who I have known from a distance for several years, and to hear him talk about his experience with this university, his passion for this university and his belief in where this university can go was extremely humbling. I had a chance to sit down with Wendell Hudson and we talked about his experiences here and the passion he has for this university, being the first African-American player to be recruited by the University of Alabama and his belief that this is the perfect time to come into this situation and make a difference. When you look at what our country has experience within the past year, the change that has taken place throughout our nation is not lost on me and it is extremely humbling. I look it as I have a tremendous responsibility here to honor the efforts, sacrifices and dedication of those that have come before me, and I will be eternally grateful for that. At the end of the day, what I comes down to is our ability to impact the lives of those that will be in our stay, to have a program that is about championships on and off the court, about winning and doing the things that have never been done. I think we are primed to accomplish some things that have never been done here.
People ask about our style of play. I think anyone that seen our teams at VCU or during my time at the University of Florida, I think it will be style of play that the players will really enjoy. I think they will have a lot of fun playing this style of play. I had an opportunity to meet with them a short time ago and to express my excitement and what they can expect. I think it is a style of play that you guys, as fans, will embrace. I think it is a fun style to watch, but more importantly is a style that you win with. I told the players that in my experiences with Coach Donovan, who in my opinion is one of the greatest coaches to ever be on the sideline, we were at Marshall University our first year and took a team that was 9-18 the year before we got there and won a championship and went 18-9. At the University of Florida we took a team that was not very talented and made it competitive. As the talent level increased, we were able to compete for championships and as we got better we were able to compete on the national stage and do what people though could never be done. I think it is a style of play that encompasses everything that we are all looking for.
My vision for this program is to build that brand with style of play and recruit the type of student athletes that we all will be proud of, on and off the floor. My vision for this program is to play for championships. I know, and I think you all know, that there is a lot of that goes into this and a lot of work that needs to be done. I promise you this, there will be no one that will work harder or be more dedicated than I will to make sure that we put a product on that floor, a product that walks on this campus and product that you will recognize in this community and be proud of the way they represent the university that we all in this room love. I promise you that. I think with the history, tradition and success that this program has had, my vision, my goals and my confidence with the administration's support and leadership that we have in, we are going to be able to take that next step in this program and do some special things. I want to thank you all for coming out and I can't tell you how excited I am and I look forward to getting started.
Alabama men's basketball head coach Anthony Grant
On his commitment to winning ...
"There's a lot of things that we discussed. I think the biggest thing that goes into that, as I've mentioned, is making sure that your players are provided every resource necessary to be successful. Obviously, we all know how competitive the SEC is. We know how much importance your recruiting plays in your ability to be successful. How much your players feel like what they do is important, what they do is meaningful and significant to the university. I think there's no doubt that if you ask our young men on this team, they feel that way. That's one of the questions I asked the guys that I met with when I was here on Wednesday, and I think that they feel that commitment, they felt that commitment, all the way through. The rest of it, to be honest with you entails, I think, the fact that Dr. (Robert) Witt, Coach (Mal) Moore, Dave Hart, they're on the same page, they have a passion for this university, a passion to be successful. For me, the most important thing is the people. If the right people are in place you have a chance to do some great things and that's probably for me the biggest thing that attracted me, in terms of their commitment, their passion to make sure that every resource is provided to be successful."
On his knowledge of the state of Alabama ...
"Let me tell you this, I recruited during my time at Florida, three or four guys from the state of Alabama and the one thing I walked away extremely impressed with was the loyalty and the passion that the people had for this university. It was always extremely difficult to come into (Alabama) and try to get a player that the University of Alabama wanted, it was hard. I think the most important thing is that this state loves this university. I think for me that my job is to go out and build relationships. I think that's what it's all about when it comes down to relationships, when it comes down to developing that trust, that's my job. I'm going to go out and I'm going to work my tail off to make sure that we establish great relationships with all the high school coaches in the area, all the AAU coaches, all the recruits, all the players, to let them know that this is a place that they will come and get a great education. They will come here to be lead by a group of coaches that will care about them, that will want the best for them, that will push them to become all that they're capable of becoming on and off the floor and that they will have an opportunity to make their dreams come true by playing for championships and to fulfill their dreams and goals as individuals. I think that if my son had an opportunity to have those dreams presented to him, that's all that as a parent I could ask for. That's what I'm looking to build as far as trust throughout the state and nationally as I go about this process of building this program and taking it where we want."
On the advice he received from Florida Coach Billy Donovan...
"Billy and I are extremely good friends. We talk quite often and Billy's opinion was that this was a great job. After 13 years at Florida and I believe five years at the University of Kentucky, he's spent an enormous amount of time in this league and I think he has a tremendous amount of respect for what Alabama represents. I think without question he felt, based on an outside view looking in, that this was a wonderful opportunity. From my opportunity to visit with the leadership here and the things I shared with him, I think he was extremely excited for me and for my family with the opportunity we have."
On his search for his staff...
"Obviously I have not made any final decisions. Right now a process is taking place at VCU where they're in the process of trying to select a coach and one of my former staff members has an opportunity there and I think right now it's going to be a situation where I need to see how things play out there. I have to evaluate exactly what our needs are here at the University of Alabama. My job here is to put together the best staff here at Alabama to meet the needs that we have here at Alabama to make up the best staff we possibly can and that's how I'm going to approach it. As we go forward I will keep the media informed as to any decisions we make but right now that's where we're at."
On his needs at Alabama and possible recruiting future...
"Well I like our roster. I had an opportunity to speak to a few of the incoming recruits. Certainly we will recruit. We will do our best job to put the best guys on the floor that we can. I can't exactly go into details about who we are targeting but certainly I feel like there are some guys out there that can make tremendous impact on this university and we will do everything that we can to make that happen."
On advice from Louisville Coach Rick Pitino...
"I did have a conversation with Coach Pitino. Obviously, since I didn't play for him, I don't have the same relationship that Billy Donovan has with Pitino but I do have a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for him. I've gotten to know him over the years and I think anybody that has had an opportunity to be around him would walk away extremely impressed. Again, he's a person who was extremely high on this opportunity here at Alabama. He saw it as a wonderful opportunity to go and compete for championships as well as a wonderful place to raise a family and that all the resources were in place here to be successful."
On the current players being ready to play Grant's style...
"In talking to the players I saw today, they don't say a whole lot, they're really quiet guys. I think they're taking it all in but I do sense that there's a sense of excitement. I think that there's also a "proceed with caution" attitude because they don't know what to expect. I think they understand that it's going to be a lot of fun but I think they also understand that it's going to be a lot of work. They're going to be asked to push themselves to different levels, that right now, they don't know. I am looking forward to it and I have no doubts that once they've acclimated to what we want them to do that it's going to be a lot of fun, I think they're going to really enjoy it. Everyone that I've come in to contact with at the university says that the guys on the current team are all great guys, all great guys. When you look at their commitment to each other, after a tough transition in the middle of the year, I think that speaks volumes of who they are as people. They stuck by it, they stuck with it and they were determined to go out and be successful and I'm excited about that. When you have that type of character you have the chance to do some special things and these guys certainly display a lot of character and passion.
On what stood out about his meeting at his house with Alabama...
"Well what stood out to me is that I learned a lot about the University of Alabama. I learned, probably the thing that stood out the most, was their passion for the University. Coach (Mal) Moore has a 50-year relationship with the university, from being a player to a coach and obviously now representing this organization, he loves this place. Dave Hart, former athlete here, graduate. These guys have a passion for Alabama and making this place the best place that it could be. You can't fake that. They couldn't contain their excitement about their vision for what the possibilities were. The other thing that stood out was their faith and trust in me being the guy they wanted to lead this program, being the right fit, and that means a great deal to me. Those are probably the things that stood out the most."
On the possibility of retaining any of the current staff...
"This week I'm going to have the opportunity to sit down and talk to each one of them. Like I said, I have a tremendous amount of respect for the job that they did given their situation and their history with this university. Again, I'll reiterate by saying that my main focus is what's best for the University of Alabama and our basketball program going forward. There are certain qualities to me in a coach that I want to surround myself with. Their importance helps to give me an idea, going in, of what I'm looking for but certainly its importance to have a chance to explore all our options about what's best for this university."
On his playing days at the University of Dayton and the qualities that have carried over...
"I think the good thing, like any fish-tale, the further removed you are the bigger man, the better you are. I think I was the guy that hopefully played with a lot of heart and played with passion and that's what I expect from our guys. I think that's how I coach. I think I was fortunate to be around some very, very good coaches and some very good mentors who certainly influenced the way I played and no doubt influence the way I coach. To describe me as a player...I was okay. We were fortunate that I had some good experiences in terms of playing together with a team. A lot of times young guys always think it is about what happens to you as individuals. My memories of my times as a player in college were of when we won, the success we enjoyed as a team, those are the most important things. That's what you remember. Hopefully we'll be able to pass some of that on to our current players and the players of the future."
Director of Athletics Mal Moore
On how Grant emerged in the coaching search:
"There were about five guys that we looked at and rattled around several different ways, but the feedback that we always got on Anthony Grant was consistently strong. That he was a great citizen, a great coach and a great recruiter. We just got the feeling the more we researched him that he was the perfect package for us. We targeted him and he is the only coach I talked to."
On Grant's contract:
"We will do his contract, we hope, within the next three or four weeks and it will be public then. There are still some things we have to negotiate yet."
On when Grant became the lead candidate for Alabama:
"We zeroed in on him when we were at the SEC Championship game. We had looked at a lot of different people and had been reducing the list down. It was kind of the way I've liked to do it in the past. Pick the guy we wanted here and would fit here and I think we identified that guy."
On if any other candidates were contacted in the search:
"No. We researched a lot and everyone was still playing basketball games and I didn't want to call a coach while that was going on. We just tried to do our homework as hard as we could."
On when he was certain Grant was the ideal candidate:
"Well we went up to Richmond last Sunday to hire him. I had a lot of good comments from people that I trust real well. We told him on Sunday that we wanted to hire him."
On if there were any nervous moments during the search:
"Well you always get nervous. This is a hard thing to do, to hire a coach. There are a lot of openings. I really appreciate the job Dave Hart did in his help and support of all this and I think it went really well."
On if he considers this a 'home run' hire:
"I'm just as proud of Anthony Grant as I could possibly be. I think he is what we need here at this time."
Junior guard Mikhail Torrance
Thoughts on Anthony Grant becoming the Alabama basketball coach:
"I'm very excited. I love what he brings to the table. His professionalism is what draws me to him the most and what makes me like him the most. I'm just anxious and ready to get the season started."
On watching VCU play during the past year:
"I actually watched them in the tournament. I love their style of play. I think our team fits his mode just perfectly. I'm just ready to get started."
On what has been said during talks between Coach Grant and the team:
"He told us about himself and we just introduced ourselves. The biggest thing is the trust issue. I am ready to get started. I was a fan of his. I was hoping we would get him and I'm glad we did. I'm ready to play for him."
On Coach Grant saying the team would be pushed like they had never been pushed before:
"I think it's better for us. I know that he's going to expect a lot, especially from me because I'm a senior. I want to be that leader out there that he is looking for so I'll do whatever it takes."
Freshman forward JaMychal Green
On what the team will have to do now that Coach Grant is at Alabama:
"I think we are going to have to prove that we are willing to do whatever it takes to win."
On what goes through his mind when he hears Coach Grant speak:
"He is a very powerful man and whatever he says, I'm just going to get behind it."
On watching VCU and Coach Grant in the NCAA tournament:
"We paid attention to him just to see what kind of team he had and what kind of offense he ran. We just wanted to see what kind of program he had."
On what Coach Grant said to the team earlier in the day:
"He just told us that he was going to lead us and try to turn the program around. He said he made a commitment and he was going to stay true to us."
Freshman guard Andrew Steele
On watching VCU in the tournament ...
"I did see them play against UCLA. I am excited because he has taken VCU to the NCAA tournament and he's a proven winner."
On talking with Coach Grant earlier today ...
"He talked to us early. He just talked about the style he played and the way he coaches. He told us what he expects out of us. He was real sincere."
On what the team has to prove to Coach Grant ...
"I think we have to prove our commitment to his style of play. Obviously, we don't know him and he doesn't know us. I think we have to buy into what he's coaching. It's proven that he wins and that's something we want to so. I feel like we have to show him that we are committed to him and the way he is going to coach us."
