Grambling State University has struggled to build successful men’s basketball program the last several years, and GSU Athletics Director Paul Bryant is ready for a change. He wants a winner on and off the court.
“The thing is, winning is defined in different ways,” said Bryant, who started as AD in January. “Wins and losses is one way to look at winning. Another is to look at student-athlete academic success. Another is to look at how much of a program is built as a team and alumni engagement. And then there’s the life blood of all sports programs: recruiting.”
The basketball G-Men finished the 2016-17 season with a 16-17 overall record and a 10-8 record in the Southwestern Athletics Conference. Last year’s season records were 7-19 overall and 4-10 in the SWAC. The G-Men had a 2-17 overall record and a 0-18 record in the 2014-15 season. It has been several years since the team has had a strong winning season.
Bryant said he wants a coach willing to recruit locally, regionally and nationally, someone who coaches within a 90-mile radius knows because the coach has been in their gyms and at their practices. He said he wants someone who knows basketball strategy, someone who can identify players to fit a specific system but also identify players who can grow into the coach’s system. “This is what I tell all of our coaches,” added Bryant. “I expect and want each coach and coaching staff to handle the basics, from recruiting and staffing to budget and games.”
“In the end, we need a well-rounded, aggressive, challenging and competitive men’s basketball coach who the players can appreciate, understand and respond to as a leader,” said Bryant.
The men’s basketball coaching job was posted Monday (March 27) with an April 28 deadline.
Courtesy: GSU Media Bureau
