Clemson basketball loses assistant

Clemson basketball lost an assistant on Tuesday when Earl Grant was named the new head coach of the College of Charleston. His hiring marks the end of a coaching search that lasted several weeks after the firing of Doug Wojcik, who was let go on Aug. 5 for alleged verbal abuse toward his players. 

Grant was hired by Tigers coach Brad Brownell in 2010 following stints at Wichita State, Winthrop and The Citadel. During his time with Clemson, he was the lead recruiter for K.J. McDaniels, Jaron Blossomgame, Gabe DeVoe and several others.

“Earl is an outstanding coach with a unique gift for connecting with young people,” Brownell said in a statement. “His positive outlook on life, passion for the game of basketball and ability to connect with people will serve him well in his time at Charleston.”

Grant’s replacement has yet to be determined, but one potential candidate could be former Virginia Tech head coach James Johnson. In 2012, Johnson accepted an assistant coaching position at Clemson but left less than two weeks later after being offered the head coaching job in Blacksburg. He was let go by Virginia Tech in March, however, after the Hokies were 22-41 over two years.