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Award-winning columnist Tom Archdeacon — an old-school storyteller in a brand-new venue — writes about sports, the city, southwest Ohio and anything else that catches his fancy… or yours.Home > Blogs > Through the Arch > Archives > 2009 > March > 20 > Entry
blog: Big night for two former Flyers
MINNEAPOLIS — As the first full day of the NCAA Tournament was coming to an end Thursday night, two former Dayton Flyers were having impressive nights in close, but losing, causes.
Anthony Grant — one of the next BIG NAMES in college coaching and a stand-out Dayton Flyer in the mid-1980s — was guiding his 11th seeded Virginia Commonwealth team to a near upset of No. 5 UCLA . Eventually VCU lost, 65-64.
Seeing the TV broadcast of him calmly working the sidelines in Philadelphia reminded me of two years ago, when I watched him in person lead VCU to a shocker win over Duke.
Also last night, former UD point guard Trent Meachem — one of Brian Gregory’s first recruits before he transferred after one season as a Flyer — almost single-handily lifted Illinois back from a 17-point deficit in the final 14 minutes before losing, 76-72, to Western Kentucky in Portland.
Meachem, in his final college game, led the Illini with 24 points, including hitting four of seven three-point attempts.
The other day Gregory admitted: “Obviously, I’ve never said it, but the loss of Meacham hurt us. It set us back a little bit. That year, it set us back, and then it set us back the next year because he would have been a junior, and now you have to bring in a new point guard. Think if he was in the program and London Warren got to play with him for two years.”
If Meachem was short lived at UD, Grant played 105 games for the Flyers and went to a pair of NCAA Tournaments and one NIT. He was the team MVP his senior season, leading UD in scoring and rebounds.
He became especially tight with his former coach Don Donoher. Every time Grant’s had a major event in his life — when his mother died, when he and his wife lost a child, when he was interested in the open UD job six years ago — he’s sought out Donoher by phone or in person.
“I’ve got a tremendous amount of respect for him,” Grant once told me of Donoher. “I wouldn’t be in the position I am right now — not only as a coach, but as a man — if not for my experiences with Coach Donoher, his wife, Sonia, and their family. They’ve been there for me in all the good times and bad times.”
Donoher said “Any time Anthony’s had a big decision to make, he’s called and we talk. He always thinks everything through thoroughly. It’s no surprise to see him succeed. He’s a great one, a guy of real quality and integrity. Just a jewel of a guy.”
And he’s one heck of a coach, too.
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