GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) -Florida moved quickly to contact Anthony Grant about its coaching vacancy, calling him soon after Billy Donovan left for the NBA.
But Grant still hasn’t been offered the job, fueling speculation that the situation might not be resolved as quickly as the Gators had hoped.
Grant, a former Florida assistant under Donovan and the current head coach at Virginia Commonwealth, released a statement Sunday night that created several questions and provided few answers.
“I have been contacted by the University of Florida regarding their coaching vacancy,” Grant said. “I have not had any in-person contact with any Florida representative, nor have I been offered the job.
“At this point in time, I will have no further comment on this situation as my focus is on my responsibilities at VCU.”
Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley did not immediately return a phone message.
Foley had been scheduled to meet with Grant on Saturday. Grant’s statement suggested that didn’t happen. But Foley may have met with Grant’s agent.
And it’s not like Foley would need a face-to-face interview with Grant. He spent 12 years as one of Donovan’s top assistants, including 10 seasons in Gainesville.
In short, the 41-year-old Grant has nearly as much imprint on the Florida program as Donovan.
He left the Gators for VCU in 2006 and led the Rams to the NCAA tournament in his first season. VCU upset Duke in the opening round.
Donovan signed a five-year, $27.5 million contract with the NBA’s Orlando Magic on Thursday, leaving Florida without a coach for the first time in more than 11 years.
The Gators wanted to fill the spot as quickly as possibly, trying to minimize the chance current players and recruits would seek to play elsewhere.
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