University of Tennessee Athletics
Barnes Hires Earl Grant as Assistant Coach
April 23, 2026 | Men's Basketball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – University of Tennessee head men's basketball coach Rick Barnes announced Thursday the hiring of Earl Grant as an assistant coach.
A veteran with 24 years of Division I coaching experience, Grant has spent nine years at the Power Five level and worked as a head coach for the last 12.
"Earl Grant is a perfect fit for Tennessee basketball and I'm so glad he is coming aboard," Barnes said. "I called him recently just to talk and, as we continued our conversation, I realized he was just the person we needed on our staff. I've known Earl for a long time and always had a great deal of respect for him. I love his coaching philosophies and we are bringing him here to help make us even better. Earl is a man of impeccable character and I am certain he will make a positive impact on the players in our program."
Grant served as the head coach at Boston College for the last five seasons, 2021-26. He twice outperformed his preseason KenPom rank by 30-plus spots, including during a 20-win campaign—the school's first in 13 years—in 2023-24 that included a second-round NIT appearance. That year, Grant guided Quinten Post to becoming a Second Team All-ACC honoree and the No. 34 selection in the NBA Draft.
The prior season, 2022-23, his second at the helm, Grant led the Eagles to three AP top-25 wins, including their first top-10 triumph in nearly six years, a 63-48 decision against sixth-ranked Virginia. Boston College won nine ACC games, its most in 12 years, including four on the road, its most in 14 years, while Post claimed ACC Most Improved Player plaudits.
"I'm extremely excited about the opportunity to serve, learn and grow at Tennessee," Grant shared. "I look forward to helping the program continue to strive for excellence, both on and off the court. I feel blessed that coach Barnes has chosen me for this position. My family and I cannot wait to move to Rocky Top and be part of the Knoxville community."
Before his time at Boston College, Grant was the head coach at the College of Charleston for seven seasons, 2014-21. He led the Cougars to a 127-89 record that included three consecutive campaigns, 2016-17 to 2018-19, with 24-plus victories, the first such occurrence for the program since 1995-96 to 1999-2000.
In his third season in charge, 2017-18, Grant's team went 26-8, shared the CAA regular season title, won the CAA Tournament and earned the school's first NCAA Tournament appearance in 19 years. The previous year, 2016-17, Charleston went 25-10 and made the NIT.
A Cougar was selected in the NBA Draft in both 2019 (Jarrell Brantley) and 2020 (Grant Riller), one of just 21 teams in the country to make that claim and the first back-to-back instance in school history. Those were two of the 12 all-conference honorees Grant tutored during his seven seasons at Charleston, the final five of which the team finished top-four in the CAA.
The 2019 Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award finalist's most recent assistant coaching position came at Clemson from 2010-14, during Brad Bronwell's first four years. He primarily worked with the Tigers' point guards, aiding Demontez Stitt to 2010-11 Third Team All-ACC accolades and Rod Hall to 2011-12 ACC All-Defensive Team status.
Grant, who helped the Tigers reach the 2011 NCAA Tournament, played a key role in recruiting at Clemson, as well. That included leading the charge to land players such as Jaron Blossomgame and K.J. McDaniels. The former was a two-time All-ACC honoree selected in the 2017 NBA Draft, while the former was a First Team All-ACC designee and the ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 2013-14, before going No. 32 in the 2014 NBA Draft.
Before aiding Clemson to 22-plus victories twice in a four-year span, Grant was an assistant coach at Wichita State from 2007-10, the first three seasons of Gregg Marshall's tenure. He helped the program go from 11 wins the first year to 17 the next and then 25 the year after that. The team made the 2009 CBI and the 2010 NIT.
Grant coached a pair of NBA players, Gal Mekel and Toure' Murray, during his tenure with the Shockers, as they became the first two Wichita State players to make the NBA in 12 years when they debuted in 2013-14. He also helped Clevin Hannah collect First Team All-MVC recognition in 2009-10, the first such nod for a Shocker in four years.
From 2004-07, Grant spent three years working for Marshall as an assistant coach at Winthrop. The program compiled a 79-19 record over that span, including a 42-4 ledger in Big South action. The Eagles made the NCAA Tournament each year, including registering the first win in the event in 2007 by defeating sixth-seeded Notre Dame, 74-64.
Winthrop finished that 2006-07 season with a 29-5 (14-0) record, with all five losses away from home against Power Five teams, including two by single digits. Winthrop swept the Big South titles all three seasons Grant worked there, producing two First Team All-Big South selections—two each for Torrell Martin and James Shuler, one each for Craig Bradshaw and Michael Jenkins—in each campaign.
Grant got his start as a college coach at The Citadel. There, he worked for two years, 2002-04, under Pat Dennis.
As a collegian, Grant played two seasons, 1998-2000, at Georgia College, a Division II school in Milledgeville, Ga. He aided the team to two Peach Belt Conference titles, two NCAA Tournament berths and a spot in the 2000 Elite Eight.
A native of North Charleston, S.C., Grant earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Georgia College in 2000. He and his wife, Jacci, have three sons: Trey, Eyzaiah and Elonzo.
To keep up with the University of Tennessee men's basketball team on social media, follow @Vol_Hoops on Instagram and X/Twitter, as well as /tennesseebasketball on Facebook.
A veteran with 24 years of Division I coaching experience, Grant has spent nine years at the Power Five level and worked as a head coach for the last 12.
"Earl Grant is a perfect fit for Tennessee basketball and I'm so glad he is coming aboard," Barnes said. "I called him recently just to talk and, as we continued our conversation, I realized he was just the person we needed on our staff. I've known Earl for a long time and always had a great deal of respect for him. I love his coaching philosophies and we are bringing him here to help make us even better. Earl is a man of impeccable character and I am certain he will make a positive impact on the players in our program."
Grant served as the head coach at Boston College for the last five seasons, 2021-26. He twice outperformed his preseason KenPom rank by 30-plus spots, including during a 20-win campaign—the school's first in 13 years—in 2023-24 that included a second-round NIT appearance. That year, Grant guided Quinten Post to becoming a Second Team All-ACC honoree and the No. 34 selection in the NBA Draft.
The prior season, 2022-23, his second at the helm, Grant led the Eagles to three AP top-25 wins, including their first top-10 triumph in nearly six years, a 63-48 decision against sixth-ranked Virginia. Boston College won nine ACC games, its most in 12 years, including four on the road, its most in 14 years, while Post claimed ACC Most Improved Player plaudits.
"I'm extremely excited about the opportunity to serve, learn and grow at Tennessee," Grant shared. "I look forward to helping the program continue to strive for excellence, both on and off the court. I feel blessed that coach Barnes has chosen me for this position. My family and I cannot wait to move to Rocky Top and be part of the Knoxville community."
Before his time at Boston College, Grant was the head coach at the College of Charleston for seven seasons, 2014-21. He led the Cougars to a 127-89 record that included three consecutive campaigns, 2016-17 to 2018-19, with 24-plus victories, the first such occurrence for the program since 1995-96 to 1999-2000.
In his third season in charge, 2017-18, Grant's team went 26-8, shared the CAA regular season title, won the CAA Tournament and earned the school's first NCAA Tournament appearance in 19 years. The previous year, 2016-17, Charleston went 25-10 and made the NIT.
A Cougar was selected in the NBA Draft in both 2019 (Jarrell Brantley) and 2020 (Grant Riller), one of just 21 teams in the country to make that claim and the first back-to-back instance in school history. Those were two of the 12 all-conference honorees Grant tutored during his seven seasons at Charleston, the final five of which the team finished top-four in the CAA.
The 2019 Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award finalist's most recent assistant coaching position came at Clemson from 2010-14, during Brad Bronwell's first four years. He primarily worked with the Tigers' point guards, aiding Demontez Stitt to 2010-11 Third Team All-ACC accolades and Rod Hall to 2011-12 ACC All-Defensive Team status.
Grant, who helped the Tigers reach the 2011 NCAA Tournament, played a key role in recruiting at Clemson, as well. That included leading the charge to land players such as Jaron Blossomgame and K.J. McDaniels. The former was a two-time All-ACC honoree selected in the 2017 NBA Draft, while the former was a First Team All-ACC designee and the ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 2013-14, before going No. 32 in the 2014 NBA Draft.
Before aiding Clemson to 22-plus victories twice in a four-year span, Grant was an assistant coach at Wichita State from 2007-10, the first three seasons of Gregg Marshall's tenure. He helped the program go from 11 wins the first year to 17 the next and then 25 the year after that. The team made the 2009 CBI and the 2010 NIT.
Grant coached a pair of NBA players, Gal Mekel and Toure' Murray, during his tenure with the Shockers, as they became the first two Wichita State players to make the NBA in 12 years when they debuted in 2013-14. He also helped Clevin Hannah collect First Team All-MVC recognition in 2009-10, the first such nod for a Shocker in four years.
From 2004-07, Grant spent three years working for Marshall as an assistant coach at Winthrop. The program compiled a 79-19 record over that span, including a 42-4 ledger in Big South action. The Eagles made the NCAA Tournament each year, including registering the first win in the event in 2007 by defeating sixth-seeded Notre Dame, 74-64.
Winthrop finished that 2006-07 season with a 29-5 (14-0) record, with all five losses away from home against Power Five teams, including two by single digits. Winthrop swept the Big South titles all three seasons Grant worked there, producing two First Team All-Big South selections—two each for Torrell Martin and James Shuler, one each for Craig Bradshaw and Michael Jenkins—in each campaign.
Grant got his start as a college coach at The Citadel. There, he worked for two years, 2002-04, under Pat Dennis.
As a collegian, Grant played two seasons, 1998-2000, at Georgia College, a Division II school in Milledgeville, Ga. He aided the team to two Peach Belt Conference titles, two NCAA Tournament berths and a spot in the 2000 Elite Eight.
A native of North Charleston, S.C., Grant earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Georgia College in 2000. He and his wife, Jacci, have three sons: Trey, Eyzaiah and Elonzo.
To keep up with the University of Tennessee men's basketball team on social media, follow @Vol_Hoops on Instagram and X/Twitter, as well as /tennesseebasketball on Facebook.
MBB | Rick Barnes, Ja'Kobi Gillespie, Grant Hurst & Felix Okpara Postgame vs. Michigan (3.29.26)
Sunday, March 29
MBB | Rick Barnes, Nate Ament, Bishop Boswell & Ethan Burg Media Availability (3.28.26)
Saturday, March 28
MBB | Rick Barnes, Jaylen Carey, Ja'Kobi Gillespie & Felix Okpara Postgame vs. Iowa State (3.27.26)
Saturday, March 28
MBB | Rick Barnes Media Availability (3.26.26)
Thursday, March 26
