Erin Grant eager to join Wildcats' coaching staff after stint at USC

Erin Grant watched Arizona’s rise to national prominence from a distance.

Now, Grant will have a new perspective — from UA’s bench.

Grant was named as one of the two new additions to Adia Barnes’ coaching staff two weeks ago, joining Cal’s April Phillips.

Not too long after UA’s program-changing run to the national championship game, Grant visited Tucson for a long day of conversations. By then, UA assistants Tamisha Augustin had left for Mississippi State and Jackie Nared Hairston had taken a job at Oregon.

That’s when Grant knew she wanted to join the program.

“I felt really comfortable after my conversation with Adia about the program and her vision,” Grant said. “She is extremely competitive and that resonated with me. After talking to Adia, I knew it was the right fit for me.

“Adia has done a remarkable job. It’s not an overnight success. She put the work in, got the right student-athletes in the program and coached them up. She got the support of the community and watching over the last five years — the last two at USC — (and) it’s remarkable and impressive to see. What attracted me was adding value to what she’s already built. The young ladies just went on a great run and the bulk are returning. To be able to coach them up and I know they are hungry to get back. It’s exciting to get ready for the next contention at a national championship.”

Grant has been coaching for 12 years, with stops at Memphis, New Mexico, Texas Tech — her alma mater — UT-Arlington and most recently, USC.

The week Grant signed with Arizona was a hectic one for USC. A few days before, Aarika Hughes, another USC assistant, was named head coach at Loyola Marymount. The same day UA announced Grant as its new assistant, Trojans head coach Mark Trakh resigned.

“I did not know Mark was retiring when I took this job,” Grant said.

She called it “a wild ride that week.”

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Grant said she learned a lot in her few years as Trakh’s assistant, including how to handle certain situations with compassion. She also picked up some valuable X’s and O’s.

“On the offensive side, (about) not just being boxed into one way of doing things — exploring things to fit your talent,” Grant said.

He approach will fit right in with the Wildcats, who must replace speedy guard Aari McDonald following their Final Four appearance. The Wildcats’ roster will look different, with three new recruits (Aaronette Vonleh, Gisela Sanchez and Anna Gret Asi) and three transfers (Taylor Chavez, Ariyah Copeland and Koi Love) coming in.

Grant’s passion for basketball started when her dad, Eric, put a ball in her hands. She set her sights on playing at a high level.

When she was a girl, Erin and her mom, Rynae, would play two-on-two games against her dad and brother, Isaac. Beating her dad, who played in summer church leagues, was one of her goals. It happened before she left for college.

At Texas Tech, the point guard was named Big 12 Co-Freshman of the Year and was a three-time All-Big 12 Conference honoree, a Kodak/WBCA All-American and an AP All-America Honorable Mention selection. She was also a three-time Big-12 All-Academic first-teamer. Grant still holds the program record for career assists (844). She is a member of the Texas Tech Hall of Fame.

Grant played for the WNBA’s Houston Comets and overseas, winning a Swedish championship with Stockholm 08.

Instead of returning overseas for another season, her high school coach, Samantha Morrow, offered her a staff position at UT-Arlington. It changed everything. Grant said, “I got hooked.”

“I am a student of the game — love the strategies,” Grant said. “It’s about communicating and teaching the young ladies. It’s my passion.”

During the long offseason last spring and summer, Grant worked from home in Texas, splitting time between her parents and her brother’s houses. Her family will be in the stands at McKale Center, “among the 12,000 fans, as soon as things open up more.”

“I am really looking forward to meeting the Tucson community. They are so passionate,” Grant said. “It’s a blessing to be asked to join an elite program. Adia is calm. She does have a presence about her — it’s inviting. I feel like I’ve known her longer than I have. That was really important to jump right in and be part of the family. Adia believes in her players and they believe in her. That’s special to me.”