HatterGator

The comparison of Grant to Strong is spot-on. Well-known names who were a part of chamionships as assistants. Both hot coaching prospects after success but flamed out after taking "better" jobs. Both with strong Florida ties. Pitino would be amazing but good luck getting him away from Minnesota.

And Grant is both more qualified and a better fit than Bartow. You talk about Grant being fired from Alabama. Well, Bartow was just "convinced to retire" from ETSU. Nothing about his track record suggests he'd even get this program to Heath levels.

McCall would be a homerun hire but I have a feeling he's going to hold out for an ACC or SEC job.

Comparing Bartow to Grant is kinda ridiculous. Bartow had a "nice little program" at ETSU with two regular season conference championships in twelve years. Grant was a star at VCU, winning the regular season conference championship each of the three years he was there. Grant was a part of chamionships at Florida, is from the Miami area, and can sell NBA experience. And he had Alabama 12-4 in the SEC and in the NIT championship in his second year. The wheels fell off after Lacey transferred, but he was hardly a disaster there. He might not have the ceiling of some of the younger names being thrown around, but he's a better bet to turn the program around than Bartow.