New Dayton Flyers coach Anthony Grant: ‘This is unbelievable’

Coach speaks at UD Arena two days after announcement of hiring

A sign in the front row read, “Once a Flyer, always a Flyer.”

That has always been true for Anthony Grant, the new coach of the Dayton Flyers. He was introduced at a press conference Saturday at UD Arena and then told stories later about meeting fellow UD alums like Brian Roberts and Chris Wright in recent years. They share a common bond even if they played in different eras.

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Grant, who will turn 51 in a few weeks, hasn’t played at UD Arena since his final season in 1987, but he remains in great shape and looks as if he could suit up with his new players, who watched his press conference from the front row.

Grant met the players for the first time earlier in the day and began the process of taking over for Archie Miller.

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“This is unbelievable for me,” Grant said. “I don’t have words to describe how excited I am to be here. Usually, you want to write down your thoughts and deliver a concise message. As I prepared to come here today for the press conference, I couldn’t begin to put it all together, so let me express my appreciation to Neil (Sullivan), Dr. (Eric F.) Spina for giving me this opportunity. You guys were first class. As an alum, I sit back and always try to watch what’s going on with UD, if I can catch pieces of games or just watch the score. I’ve been extremely proud of what this program has been able to accomplish. I want to also congratulate coach Miller and his staff for doing an outstanding job here. I told the players when we met I’m extremely proud of what they’ve been able to accomplish.”

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