Boston College Fires Earl Grant After Five Seasons

By NICK PETRALIA

ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Sunday morning that men’s basketball head coach Earl Grant will not return to the program next season following the Eagles’ 11-20 record in the 2025-26 season. Grant had been the Eagles’ head coach since 2021 and had a record of 72-92 during his five-year tenure.

The Eagles won 20 games once during Grant’s time as head coach, in the 2023-24 season. That year’s roster included future 57th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and Warriors big man Quinten Post, along with other key players like Jaeden Zackery and Devin McGlockton. The Eagles were selected for the NIT and won a game against Providence before ultimately falling to UNLV.

The following offseason, almost all rotation players left for the transfer portal, and Grant was never able to recapture that magic. Over the next two seasons, the Eagles missed the ACC tournament and went 0-19 on the road in ACC play.

“[Grant] really develop you defensively more than offensively,” guard Fred Payne said. “He really love defense.”

During his tenure, Grant developed Post and Donald Hand Jr. into ACC Most Improved Players of the Year in 2023 and 2025, respectively. Payne will likely be a candidate for the 2026 award as well, with his scoring average rising to 8.6 points per game this season.

“I learned from him how to just show up every day, roll your sleeves up, get to work,” BC guard Chase Forte said about what it meant to be coached by Grant. “It means a lot not only on the court, but also off the court.”

Grant will probably be remembered most for his postgame comments and locker room sayings, from “Gritty not Pretty” to “We not underdogs. We under God.” One of his most recent pearls: “If a blind man can get a shot on the rim, there’s a chance for some good things to happen.”

Boston College will now begin its search for a head coach to break the program’s 17-year NCAA Tournament drought and two-year ACC Tournament drought.