Rick Barnes, Tennessee basketball hire former Boston College coach Earl Grant

Tennessee basketball continues its eventful offseason by hiring former Boston College coach Earl Grant to Rick Barnes' staff on April 23. Grant fills the staff vacancy left by former associate head coach Justin Gainey, who became the coach at NC State on March 30. "I'm extremely excited about the opportunity to serve, learn and grow at Tennessee ," Grant said in a school release.

"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.

" Boston College fired Grant on March 8 after finishing the season 11-20 and 4-14 in the ACC. Grant went 72-92 with one winning record over five seasons. He had three seasons remaining on his contract, which had been extended through the 2028-29 campaign.

"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.