Dayton Flyers: Assistant coach Tom Ostrom praises hiring of Anthony Grant

Longtime Archie Miller assistant began his career on staff that included Anthony Grant

Tom Ostrom has known Anthony Grant a long time. They coached together on Billy Donovan’s staff with the Florida Gators for seven seasons from 1998 to 2005.

Ostrom, an assistant coach on Archie Miller's staff at Dayton for the last six seasons, praised the announcement of Grant's hiring on Thursday.

“I’ve known Anthony and (his wife Christina) for 20 years,” Ostrom said. “They’ve always been a big part of my life. The University of Dayton is getting a man with impeccable integrity and character. Our young men in this community are getting a leader and role model at the highest level.”

RELATED: Fans grade Grant hiring

Grant coached Virginia Commonwealth for three seasons and made the NCAA tournament in 2007 and 2009. He was 28-7, 24-8 and 24-10. He then spent five seasons at Alabama. He was 117-85. Alabama made the NCAA tournament in one of his seasons, finishing 21-12 in 2011-12.

RELATED: Grant to be introduced Saturday

Alabama fired Grant on March 15, 2015. Donovan hired Grant on June 29, 2015, as an assistant coach with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

“Anthony is the rare coach who was an assistant coach at the highest level, won a national championship,” Ostrom said. “He was a head coach and won games in the NCAA tournament and was really successful and then coached literally the best of the best, two of the best players on the planet (Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, in Oklahoma City). He can see things from all angles. He’s a guy who’s been where a lot of our recruits want to get to. He can definitely relate to the path to get there better than most.”

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