Troy men’s basketball head coach Phil Cunningham announced the hiring of assistant coach Marcus Grant on Thursday. Grant joins returning assistant coach Ben Fletcher, who was retained when Cunningham was hired less than two weeks ago.

Grant comes to Troy after spending eight seasons on staff at Mississippi State, including the last six as an assistant coach alongside Cunningham under head coach Rick Stansbury from 2006 to 2012.

Grant was also a standout player at Mississippi State, helping lead the Bulldogs to the 1995 NCAA Sweet 16 in his senior season, along the way scoring 23 points in the Bulldogs upset win over No.4 Kentucky at Rupp Arena. Grant opened his career at Mississippi State in 1991-92, the same season that Cunningham served as a graduate assistant for the Bulldogs.

“My relationship with Marcus dates back to the fall of 1991 when he was a freshman at MSU,” Cunningham said. “I’ve spent time with him as a player and as a coach and I’ve seen him develop professionally. I trust him in all areas. He’s a tremendous recruiter, great on the floor and he communicates well with the players.”

Grant began his coaching career at Mississippi State in 2004 as a coordinator of operations before being promoted to assistant coach in 2006. In his eight years on staff at MSU, Grant was a part of six postseason appearances, including three NCAA Tournament appearances.

Before starting his coaching career, Grant spent nearly a decade playing professionally in Europe, including three-times being named Eurobasket All-Finnish League Import Player of the Year. In his final year, Grant averaged 16.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game in leading the Kouvolan Kouvot club to the 2003-04 Finnish League championship.

Grant joins a Trojan staff that already includes Troy alum Ben Fletcher, who will enter his ninth season as an assistant coach at Troy in 2013-14.

“When I first talked to John Hartwell about the opening at Troy, Ben was someone he immediately spoke highly of and recommend for a position on the staff,” Cunningham said. “I remember him as a player and I’ve seen him as a coach and how well he carries himself. Keeping Ben has been the best move we’ve made so far. I’m really excited about sending him out as a recruiter because he’s a great ambassador for Troy University.”

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