Alabama Extends Contract of Head Coach Anthony Grant

By Paul Seaver
Jeff Blake-US PRESSWIRE

After guiding the Crimson Tide to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2006, Alabama head coach Anthony Grant has been approved for a contract extension.

The university’s Board of Trustees approved the decision for Grant, extending the Crimson Tide head man through the 2018-19 season. Grant also received a $100,000 raise.

After spending three seasons as the head coach at VCU, Grant took over the Crimson Tide program prior to the start of the 2009-10 season. In three years at the helm, Grant has posted a 63-39 record at Alabama.

The Crimson Tide struggled during his first season in charge, finishing the 2009-10 season with an overall mark of 17-15. However, Grant led Alabama to 25 wins in 2010-11, although the Crimson Tide were spurned from the NCAA Tournament.

Just last season however, Alabama finished the year at 21-12 overall and qualified for the Big Dance. The Crimson Tide were eliminated in the Round of 64 by Creighton. Off-the-court issues late in the year circulated, leading to the suspensions of star performers J’Mychal Green, Tony Mitchell, and Trevor Releford.

Both Green and Mitchell are now gone, but Releford has returned, looking to guide Alabama to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances. Prior to the school’s five year drought that ended last season, the Crimson Tide had qualified for the Big Dance each year from 2002 to 2006.

Releford will be paired in the back court with sophomore Trevor Lacey, while forward Levi Randolph looks for a breakout season of his own in 2012-13.

In addition to his past head coaching experience at both VCU and Alabama, Grant spent time at Florida, Marshall, and Stetson as an assistant.

 

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