(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
University of Florida's Athletic Director Jeremy Foley boarded a plane one morning in 2007 with the fate of three school's hanging in the balance.
Billy Donovan, coming off two straight national championships, was banking in on his success to become the new head coach of the Orlando Magic.
This left Florida obviously in the lurch but it also left Rob Lanier in limbo.
Lanier was an assistant for Dave Leitao at the University of Virginia, who had decided to join Donovan only weeks before he made his decision to bolt.
Now he wondered just where his future would be.
Foley had decided on his future, it was Anthony Grant.
Grant, the long-time assistant for Donovan, had left to take the vacant Virginia Commonwealth University job when Jeff Capel moved on to Oklahoma.
To say Grant found success is putting it mildly. He led the Rams to the Colonial Athletic Association title and a first round victory over Duke in his first season.
Foley was boarding the plane to Richmond to officially offer Grant the job.
Instead, he received news that Donovan was returning. Just a few days after accepting the position at Orlando, he got cold feet and returned to Gator Nation.
Like that, the fate of three programs turned.
For VCU, it was a dream come true. Grant would continue to steer their program to great success including three regular season titles, a second CAA conference title this season and took UCLA, a team that had reached the Final Four three straight years, to the buzzer.
For Virginia, it was a nightmare.
Lanier was the counterbalance to the volatile Leitao. He balanced out the team and his coach. He was the good cop to Leitao's bad cop and when he left so did the order and direction of the team.
Lanier's loss is perhaps the most under-appreciated factor in Virginia's demise but it was certainly destructive. Two seasons later and Virginia is out one coach and these schools may be linked again.
Pardon The Interruption's Michael Wilbon weighed in on the Virginia coaching search loud and clear: It's time to bring in Anthony Grant.
Indeed Grant will be the hottest name in the coaching carousel this season, already on the radar of both Alabama and Georgia.
He is the complete package of youth, vigor, charisma and results.
Grant was almost on the move in 2007, will he be on the move in 2009?
More importantly, will that new property be in Athens, Tuscaloosa or Charlottesville?
(For previous candidates look here and here)
WHY GRANT WILL GO TO UVA
Grant has done a marvelous job at VCU. He has not only done a wonderful job bonding with his players but with the community at large.
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