Earl Grant has been named men’s basketball head coach, as announced by President Glenn McConnell and Director of Athletics Joe Hull on Tuesday.

Grant, 37, will be formally introduced as The College’s 23rd all-time head men’s basketball coach at a press conference to be held on Friday, Sept. 5, at 12:45 p.m. (ET), on the Cistern Yard. CofC alumni, students, fans and supporters are encouraged to attend.

“I believe the College of Charleston has a boundless opportunity with Coach Earl Grant, and I am confident he will help launch a new beginning full of excellence, teamwork and success,” McConnell said. “Earl inherits a team that has bonded together during the past months and has shown character, fortitude and leadership. I am very proud of how this team has stood up to adversity.”

The former Lowcountry prep star out of R.B. Stall High School joins the company of coaching greats Alfred von Kolnitz (1924-26), Ernest Wehman (two tenures from 1933-42, 1957-58), Willard Silcox, Sr. (three tenures: 1943-44, 1948-53, 1955-56), Fred Daniels (1968-70), Alan LeForce (1970-79), the program’s all-time winningest coach John Kresse (1979-2002) and Bobby Cremins (2006-12).

“We are thrilled to welcome Earl back home and to the College of Charleston,” Hull said. “He will bring great energy and excitement to our program. He has learned the game from terrific coaches and is ready to lead the Cougars. We need to hit the ground running and Earl is ready to do that.”

Grant previously spent the last four seasons as an assistant coach under Brad Brownell at Clemson, where he made a positive impact on the Tiger men’s basketball program, both in recruiting, and with player development. He worked primarily with Clemson’s point guards.

He recruited 2014 first-team All-ACC selection K.J. McDaniels to Clemson, where he ultimately ended up averaging 17 points per game as a junior and was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year, before declaring early for the NBA Draft. McDaniels was selected 32nd overall in the 2014 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers.

Several Tiger point guards have flourished under Grant’s mentoring including incumbent starter Rod Hall. After recruiting the Augusta, Ga., native to Clemson, Grant has seen Hall develop into one of the leaders of the program. During the 2013-14 season, Hall was second on the team in scoring average and ranked among the ACC’s top 10 in both assists per game and assist-to-turnover ratio.

In 2010-11, Grant worked with Demontez Stitt, who was named third-team All-ACC and was a member of the All-ACC Tournament Team. Demontez is the older cousin of CofC senior point guard Anthony Stitt. That same season, Grant helped Andre Young to an ACC-leading 2.55 assist-to-turnover ratio. Young went on to lead the conference in steals per game as a senior in 2011-12, earning All-ACC Defensive Team honors. He also led the Tigers in scoring under Grant’s direction.

Clemson put together strong team results with Grant in the fold as well. In 2013-14, the Tigers went 23-13 overall and recorded a 10-win improvement from the previous season. Clemson advanced to the NIT semifinals and was 10-8 during the ACC regular season.

In Grant’s first season in 2010-11, Clemson put together a 22-12 overall record and 9-7 league mark in the ACC. The Tigers earned the No. 4 seed at the ACC Tournament and advanced to the semifinals in Greensboro, N.C. Clemson also went to a fourth-consecutive NCAA Tournament and won its first-round game over UAB, 70-52, in Dayton, Ohio.

Clemson was strong defensively in four seasons with Grant part of its coaching staff. In 2010-11, the Tigers ranked No. 24 nationally in scoring defense. In 2011-12, Clemson yielded just 60.6 points per game to the opposition, the second-best figure among ACC schools. In 2012-13, the Tigers dropped their average even further to 60.1 points per game. That figure dropped to an ACC era-best at Clemson – 58.4 points per game – in 2013-14. The Tiger perimeter defense was No. 1 nationally defending the three-pointer (.286) last season.

Known as a top recruiter, Grant personally signed 10 of Clemson’s 15 players recruited by Brownell’s staff. He was Clemson’s lead recruiter for players such as Austin Ajukwa, Jaron Blossomgame, Gabe DeVoe, Ibrahim Djambo, Sidy Djitte, Hall, K.J. McDaniels and Patrick Rooks.

Prior to Clemson, Grant spent six years as an assistant coach under former College of Charleston assistant coach Gregg Marshall, the last three for him at Wichita State from 2007-10.

With Grant on board, the Shockers made gradual improvement each season, culminating with a 25-10 overall record and 12-6 Missouri Valley Conference mark in 2009-10. The Shockers advanced to the championship game of the MVC Tournament and also earned a bid to the National Invitation Tournament. In 2008-09, Wichita State made its first postseason appearance in three years.

In three seasons at Winthrop University under Marshall from 2004-07, Grant helped the Eagles to three-consecutive Big South Conference Championships and three-straight NCAA Tournament appearances.

The 2006-07 campaign was a memorable one for Winthrop. With Grant’s assistance, the Eagles claimed a 74-64 upset over No. 6-seeded Notre Dame in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. It was Winthrop’s first NCAA Tournament win in seven tries. Grant helped the Eagles to a 29-5 overall record and unblemished 14-0 mark in Big South play. He had a positive effect on the play of guard, Torrell Martin, one of the Eagles’ top players in the history of the program.

In 2005-06, Winthrop finished the season with a 23-8 overall record and came within two points of upsetting Tennessee in the NCAA Tournament. Grant’s first season at Winthrop was 2004-05, when the Eagles went 27-6 overall.

Prior to joining Marshall’s staff at Winthrop, Grant was an assistant coach at crosstown rival The Citadel from 2002-04.

A former student-athlete, Grant played two years at the NCAA Division II level at Georgia College in Milledgeville, Ga. He led the school to two appearances in the NCAA Tournament and to consecutive Peach Belt Conference Championships (1999 and 2000). In 2000, the Bobcats advanced all the way to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division II national tournament. He was named an All-Peach Belt First Team selection in 2000.

A native of North Charleston, S.C., Grant earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Georgia College in 2000. He and his wife, Jacci, have three sons: Trey (7), Eyzaiah (6) and Elonzo (3).