Dayton Flyers will meet new coach on Saturday

Kendall Pollard says guys will want to play for coach with NBA background

Credit: David Jablonski - Staff Writer

Credit: David Jablonski - Staff Writer

Kendall Pollard was taking a class with a number of fellow Dayton Flyers — Scoochie Smith, Joey Gruden, Josh Cunningham and Darrell Davis — when they saw the news break on Twitter about UD hiring Anthony Grant.

Pollard said they didn’t need to start researching Grant on Google. They had time to do that earlier in the week because Grant was one of the favorites for the job. The players were pushing for one of Archie Miller’s assistant coaches to get the job, Pollard said.

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As for Grant, an Oklahoma City Thunder assistant coach who is the first former Flyer to be UD’s head coach since Don Donoher, Pollard said, “ I heard he’s a good guy. He plays an up-tempo style of basketball. I think the guys will love him, but I haven’t met him.”

The players will meet their new coach Saturday, Pollard said, before a 1 p.m. press conference at UD Arena.

“I talked to Xeyrius (Williams),” Pollard said. “He told me coach Grant called him. He seemed like a really good guy.”

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Pollard expects Grant’s NBA background to help with recruiting.

“With him having all those connections, coaching those guys, knowing other NBA coaches, guys will want to play for him,” Pollard said.

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