The minute she got that job, its like you just knew she was going to have success. A founding member of the Black Coaches United, Adair has been recognized by the organization, as well as Advancement of Blacks in Sports (ABIS), as one of the top women's basketball coaches in the country. Off the court, she helped Sam Thomas be named First Team Pac-12 All-Academic and First Team CoSIDA Academic All-District. Oregons Kelly Graves earned $1 million for the 2020-21 season, not including COVID-related salary reductions, while South Carolinas Dawn Staley ($1.6 million), Baylors Kim Mulkey ($2.27 million) and Connecticuts Geno Auriemma ($2.4 million) have each been making seven figures for a while. Jones is the first Wildcat to be named to the All-Pac-12 team since Davellyn Whyte made the 2013 team. McDonald was an Associated Press and WBCA Honorable Mention All-American while also being selected to the All-Pac-12 and Defensive All-Pac-12 teams. Shes only been the coach at Arizona for five years and already the Wildcats have made it to the biggest stage in womens college basketball. E.g. Arts/Lifestyle. All Content 2023, The Daily Wildcat. We kind of do it together. TJ Benson. USC Upstate is proud of the diversity of its student body and we seek to attract an equally diverse applicant pool for faculty, staff, and administrators. 2021 WBCA Coach of the Year Finalist The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. News. Roundtable: March Madness final four, champion and dark horse selections, Highlights from head coach Sean Millers final press conference of the 2020-21 regular season. Barnes joined the staff at Washington in 2011 and helped boost the Huskies profile in the Pac-12 and nationally, culminating in a trip to the Final Four this year. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Jameson, Matt Solve this simple math problem and enter the result. She's scheduled to make $580,000 in 2021-22, $620,000 in 2022-23, $650,000 in 2023-24, $725,000 in 2024-25 and to $770,000 in 2025-26. [email protected]. Those new fans apparently include Manson. The Daily Wildcat, straight to your inbox. Here are some reactions from notable University of Arizona players and coaches as well as other public figures. The Arizona Wildcats locked up Adia Barnes for the future during their magical run to the national championship game, and now we know how much it cost to do so. The program has ascended to dizzying heights in record-breaking fashion in all aspects that include reaching the national championship game, signing elite recruiting classes, cementing its deep connections with the Tucson community. Under her direction, five Wildcats averaged their career-high in scoring, including LaBrittney Jones, who was named All-Pac-12 by averaging 15.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game. She was also named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and was a finalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, the Wade Trophy and the Honda Award. Baylor was looking to make a push for Barnes, but she decided to stay at her alma mater Arizona where it all started as a womens basketball player. Shes friends with former UConn stars Bird and Diana Taurasi. Prior to bringing on five 2017 signees, Barnes had to work quickly as she brought in guards Lucia Alonso and Bria Rice to the team in 2016. Quite a bit, though still not nearly as much as some of the top coaches in womens college basketball. 13 University of Nevada, Las Vegas, on Saturday, March 19 the first time the No. In her first season (2017-18) with the Blue Hens, Adair guided Delaware to its second most wins (19) and first postseason appearance since the 2013-14 campaign. @AariMcdonald, History has been made! https://t.co/kZXKRCsJsU. She played for Southern Connecticut State graduate Joan Bonvicini at Arizona and she calls her former coach regularly. Director of Player Relations. This comes on the heels of Arizona's first-round match up against No. Barnes, Salvo On Thursday morning, the arenas social media team sent out a message with a simple goal Operation Sell Out McKale., ????????? Reporting that amplifies the conversation around food and basic needs insecurity. Highest salary at University of Arizona (Tucson) in year 2021 was $2,140,000. "We feel good about the balance that we're providing to our students and families, President Robert C. Robbins said to the Arizona Board of R. Following her collegiate career, Barnes played professionally for 12 seasons in the WNBA and overseas. 8 Arizona vs. No. She has since gone 69-26, including winning a WNIT title in 2018-19 and advancing to the national championship game this season. ?Way to represent Women's Basketball in our state. Lizzie Oleary. You have shown so much resilience and strength. In the Cougars' first season in the CAA in 2013-14, Adair guided The College to a record of 19-15, marking the third-highest win total in the school's Division I era. Even if the Wildcats had won the title, I was going to come back no matter what, she said. If McKale Center is sold out on Saturday, it would be the second largest crowd to see a UA womens game in program history. Box Score. Science/Health. Barnes reworked five-year contract runs through 2025-26, with Barnes receiving higher salaries every season up to $770,000 in the final year. In her second year as head coach, Barnes signed the highest ranked recruiting class in Arizona history as ProspectsNation.com ranked the class at the fifth-best in the country. In her fifth season, Barnes was a finalist for the WBCA Coach of the Year and was a semifinalist for the Naismith Coach of the Year. Ware, Maya Plum became the fastest player in the Pac-12 and the seventh-fastest player in NCAA history to reach 2,000 points. Her bonuses in the postseason: $40,000 bonus for Arizona making the Final Four with the Elite Eight win over Indiana. My challenge is to build it into a powerhouse and pursue a championship.. A cultural exchange and journalism collaboration among students and faculty from four public universities in Yemen and the UA. There is no additional information to display. Arts/Lifestyle. She would have to pay $1 million if she leaves Arizona willingly in 2021-22 and $700,000 if she does so in 2022-23. It started for me at 17. Her overseas career included stops in the Ukraine, Israel, Turkey, Russia and Italy. 21 Arizona in Pac-12 Tourney, Fourth-Seeded Cats to Open Pac-12 Tournament Against Five-Seed UCLA, Beers, Blacklock Lead Oregon State Women Past No. The Wildcats won the 2019 WNIT title in front of record-breaking crowds at McKale Center. Lori Riley is a reporter for the Hartford Courant. Salary info revealed for Adia Barnes contract extension, Arizona men's basketball at UCLA: Game time, TV channel, live stream, radio, how to watch online, Report: Arizona, other Pac-12 schools, have been in contact with Big 12, Arizona softball splits pair in Hillenbrand Invitational, Arizona men's basketball at UCLA game thread, Arizona baseball rallies from down 4 to force extras, walks off North Dakota State in 12, Aissa Silva throws 1-hitter to help Arizona softball open Hillenbrand Invitational with 2 wins, Arizona baseball hangs on to beat North Dakota State for 3rd straight win. BREAKING NEWS ?? Let us come to you. Semaj Smith and Trucco were also rated as five-star post players, Shalyse Smith was rated as a four-star forward and Nixon was rated as a three-star guard. Known as a stellar recruiter, Barnes brought in five recruits for the 2017 class, which was ranked 30th in the country. Trinity Baptiste goes 24th overall. Roundtable: What was the greatest moment leading up to the Final Four game? Barnes buyout, if she were to be fired without cause, is 60 percent of her remaining contract. When Adia took the job at Arizona, basketball was not even the No. March 27, 2022, ?? Stadium Videoboard Message and Fan Experiences, Military & First Responder Single Game Offers, No. Matt Herrera. You choose. Pueyo, Kailyn Arizona finished in fourth place in a loaded Pac-12 for the first time since 2011 and advanced to their first Pac-12 Tournament Semifinals since the 2011 edition of the tournament. Director of Basketball Operations. Kayla Scott joined Adia Barnes' staff in June of 2022 following six seasons as the Director of Basketball Operations at Stephen F. Austin. Barnes had 17 points. Barnes and the rest of the coaching staff secured National Letters of Intent from prospects in Arizona, California, Italy, Texas and Washington. Her 2,237 career points currently rank ninth on the Pac-12s all-time scoring list. The youngest coach since 2014 to make the Final Four MBB preview: No. You have permission to edit this article. Let us come to you. Adair played collegiately at Pensacola Junior College (1990-92) before playing and graduating from the University of South Florida with a degree in communications in 1994. 2021 Head Coach, Women's Basketball University of Arizona (Tucson) Adia Oshun Barnes: 2021: Head Coach, Women's Basketball University of Arizona (Tucson) View Salary Details: We see now that she has turned this program around. "From the moment I stepped onto campus, I knew this was the place for me to build and grow our women's basketball program to a national power. Barnes will earn $620,000 in 2022-23, $650,000 in 2023-24, $725,000 in 2024-25 and $770,000 in 2025-26. The official Women's Basketball Coach List for the University of Arizona Wildcats 8 Arizona vs. No. In addition to her playing and coaching career, Barnes has been extremely active in the community through the Adia Barnes Foundation, which mentors under-served youth and conducts charitable events and community service projects such as school supply drives. Tommy Lloyd's contract is also on the board's agenda. The Daily Wildcat Presents:Confronting Scarcity. . As of Thursday, a limited number of seats for Saturdays games remained in the middle sections 20-23 and higher-level sections 115A to 115C. Because thats her personality. Take a Tucson vacation, No.8 Arizona MBB bounce back with win over USC after loss to ASU, Arizona WBB goes down to UCLA in the Pac-12 Tournament, Training day: Arizona swim alum prepares for Paris 2024 Olympics. The official website for Arizona Athletics at the University of Arizona in Tucson. ??? All Content 2023, The Daily Wildcat. Murphy was NAU's head coach for seven years before leaving to become UA's associate head coach in 2019. The Wildcats had their best academic semester in a decade and also led the athletic department in community service hours. Odds & lines subject to change. 2021 Naismith Coach of the Year Semifinalist Earlier this month, Adair was named to the Advancement of Blacks in Sports (ABIS) Women's Basketball Black Coaches Watch List. vs. Northern Arizona. The University of Arizona womens basketball team has made it to its first-ever Final Four. "I think there's now a lot more fans of the University of Arizona's women's basketball program, and Coach Barnes really represents the university well. "For nearly three decades, I've had the honor and privilege to coach and develop women student-athletes and am grateful for the opportunity to continue to do so here at ASU and in the Pac-12," Adair continued. Heading into the NCAA Tournament, she became the 11th coach to play and coach in the NCAA Tournament at their alma mater. Its four hours before the game, all of sudden, she calls me and Im like, What are you doing? One , Dear @AdiaBarnes and @ArizonaWBB, thank you for inspiring this Wildcat! Powered by. Bonvicini played at Southern Connecticut on a team that finished third and fourth in the AIAW national championship tournament in 1974 and 1975. During her third season, Barnes led the Wildcats on a historic run to a WNIT title. Nnaji, Adia The Arizona Athletics social media team must have been reading Barness Twitter feed. Monumental for this program and more of these moments are to come ?, We are so proud of you @ArizonaWBB @AdiaBarnes YOU will always have our support!! The Wildcats play at 7. Barnes will coach under Dawn Staley, who alongside Barnes made this year's Final Four. Reese was also named an honorable mention All-American by the Naismith Trophy. Assistant Director of Operations. Barnes helped guide Aari McDonald to multiple All-America honors and the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award as she led the Pac-12 in scoring and steals per game for the second-straight season. So to see it how long has she been there? Beardown! * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). If youre around Adia for five seconds, shes got charisma. One of four coaches to lead their alma mater to the title game He's set to make $2.9 million for the 2021-22 season, with $1.8 million. "The growth of the program has truly been remarkable. Under Adair, the Blue Hens distinguished themselves as offensive threats as Delaware averaged its most points (65.8) since 2012-13. The last time the Arizona womens basketball team made program history by advancing to the Sweet 16, Adia Barnes was the senior star. Looking forward to the future! Don't have a reason to hang your head. And now Barnes is the head coach. #ForksUp pic.twitter.com/xtxAre7dgz. January 18, 2022. Stadium Videoboard Message and Fan Experiences, Military & First Responder Single Game Offers. Adair reached her 150th-career win against College of Charleston on January 7, 2022, the same place where she earned her first career win at the helm of a program. Fields, Cate Posted on April 2, 2021. The 2021 men's Final Four coaches make $1 million more than this year's women's Final Four coaches. The class of 2018 was highlighted by five-star prospect Cate Reese, who became Arizonas first McDonalds All-American in program history. There is no additional information to display: 2023 University of Arizona / Tucson, AZ 85721. You cancel at any time. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. So proud of her. 2023 University of Arizona / Tucson, AZ 85721. The University of Arizona and women's basketball head coach Adia Barnes have agreed to new financial terms to her previous extension through 2025-26 season. Their next game is April 2 against No. South Carolina and Stanford will play in the other semifinal game. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. Barnes also continued her world-class coaching experience with another stint with Team USA Basketball, working as a court coach for the U.S. Womens National Teams spring training camp. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. We truly have it all. The terms of her five-year deal include a $5.85 million base salary. Thomas was named All-Pac-12 and Pac-12 All-Defense for the second year in a row and was a Senior CLASS Award Candidate. Take a Tucson vacation, No.8 Arizona MBB bounce back with win over USC after loss to ASU, Arizona WBB goes down to UCLA in the Pac-12 Tournament, Training day: Arizona swim alum prepares for Paris 2024 Olympics. Barnes became the youngest coach since 2014 to make the Final Four and was also the first coach since 2016 to reach the Final Four in their first five years as a head coach. They interact with their players in a way thats really, really impressive. The contract also makes it tougher, at least initially, for another team to hire Barnes away. In 2017,Barnes was summoned to Texas, where she began to help a man she bar. Tucson could not be more proud of you! We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. Adia Barnes will now be one of the highest-paid coaches in women's college basketball. The top 11 attended games in school history have come during the Adia Barnes era, which six of them came during the 2019-20 season. The six postseason wins were played in front of a total crowd of 45,602 fans. You made HISTORY and that'll never get taken away from you, and you deserve every bit of success that has come with this season! This is a bit of a downer since it means that the program lost money, $-2,086,817 to be exact. #BearDown, I was really proud of Aari McDonald! W, 113-56. [email protected]. 20-24 regular-season wins: $5,000 25 or more regular season wins: $10,000 Awards Pac-12 or national coach of year (AP, WCBA, Naismith): $10,000 Pac-12 and national coach of year: $15,000. for 1+3, enter 4. Helena Pueyo was also named Pac-12 All-Freshman Honorable Mention. The four women's coaches have an average salary of $1.67 million. There was no discussion about whether or not to approve the contract, though Regents Karrin Taylor Robson and Lyndel Manson both complimented Barnes. The Arizona Daily Wildcat is the award-winning, student-managed and -produced news outlet serving The University of Arizona and greater Tucson since 1899. 14 Arizona. Cinderella my *ss! She served as an assistant coach for the U18 Women's National Basketball Team and the U19 Women's World Cup Team Trials Court, where both teams took home Gold medals. Science/Health. It is safe to say #ncaaW was exciting to every eye that watched! Clark, Lauren University of Arizona Men's Football $17,276,450 Net Profit/Loss Great Graduation Rate 108 Team Members Number of employees at University of Arizona (Tucson) in year 2021 was 12,721. . While at Washington, Barnes coached Kelsey Plum, who was Washingtons first ever WBCA All-American in the 2015-16 season. After three seasons on staff, Barnes was promoted to recruiting coordinator, where she handled all aspects of recruiting including budget, compliance and planning, in addition to her role in player development. The University of Arizona womens basketball team celebrates after a victory over BYU that advanced the Wildcats to the Sweet 16. News. The Arizona Daily Wildcat is the award-winning, student-managed and -produced news outlet serving The University of Arizona and greater Tucson since 1899. [email protected]. Follow on Instagram The Daily Wildcat, straight to your inbox. Behind Adair's leadership, GU finished 2016-17 with a 17-13 record, the most wins for the Hoyas since 2011-12, and garnered the team's second-straight trip to the Postseason WNIT. We'll be in touch if we look into your question. You cancel at any time. Cate Reese, a piece of Arizona's highest-rated recruiting class ever, was a 2018-19 Pac-12 All-Freshmen Team selection after earning Freshman of the Week honors on three separate occasions during the season. Sam Thomas was named Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year and was awarded the Elite 90 Award at the Final Four, which goes to the student-athlete with the highest GPA among everyone competing in the Final Four. Herrera, Julian Email. Throughout the season, the Wildcats showed that they never gave up, which is a trait that Barnes instilled in the team. Here are all eight salaries of this year's Final Four . Barnes spent 10 years as the Seattle Storms TV analyst for NBA TV and FOX Sports Northwest and also spent time as the color commentator for Storm radio broadcasts. Arizona finished the season with 24 wins, the most since the 2003-04 season to complete the largest turnaround in school history as well as the largest turnaround of any school in the 2018-19 season. pic.twitter.com/DHrsxnBj04, Congrats @StanfordWBB on being national champs! The first came in 2019 when 14,644 fans filled McKale to see the Wildcats win the WNIT, setting not only a school record but a Pac-12 record for biggest crowd for a womens basketball game. "I am thrilled and honored to be named the new head women's basketball coach here at Arizona State University," said Adair. Adair prides herself on being known as a game-changer as it relates to social justice and creating a safe space for athletes to find and use their voice; where she was a guest on ESPNW's "Around the Rim" with LaChina Robinson and Delaware's UD Winning Women in Athletics: Trailblazers and Changemakers Webinar Series. You choose. A cultural exchange and journalism collaboration among students and faculty from four public universities in Yemen and the UA. McDonald becomes the first Arizona player in school history to be selected in the first round of the WNBA Draft. Fernandez. Grand Canyon Basketball Player Oscar Frayer Killed In Crash, Diamondbacks Raise Ballpark Attendance Limit. Barnes' 5-year contract extension, through the 2025-26 season, will pay her $3.345 million over the life of the deal. Alonso started 27 games at the point guard position and shot 43% from three, which is the second-highest single-season three-point percentage in school history. The Wildcats were on track to compete in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005 and had a strong chance to host the first two rounds, but the tournament was canceled due to COVID-19. Pellington, Madison As an @uarizona alum I couldn't be more proud of our @ArizonaWBB program. 1 seed University of Connecticut. The University has an enrollment of approximately 6000 students and employs approximately 650 full and part-time faculty and staff, reflecting the diversity of Upstate South Carolina. @AdiaBarnes has helped elevate the program to heights never thought possible. Arizona has now been represented on the All-Freshman team four years in a row. 1 womens sport at Arizona softball is, UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. The $669,000 average, while a significant increase for Barnes, still puts her behind many of the games top coaches. She is currently the head coach of the University of Arizona Wildcats women's basketball. Among the 68 coaches for whom current-season figures could be obtained, , 44 are women, and their average pay is $733,000; ; average pay for the 24 men is $785,000. In 2021-22, she coached the Blue Hens to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in nearly a decade. She is also the mother of one son, Matteo and one daughter, Capri. @ArizonaWBB, We are so proud of you @AdiaBarnes!#BearDown pic.twitter.com/2lZ2XXxIqI, Incredible run, @ArizonaWBB! Special Assistant to the Head Coach. Now she's made history again as the coach of the Wildcats, leading . "It's just been an amazing turnaround of our women's basketball program over the last five years," UA athletic director Dave Heeke said while presenting the proposed contract via Zoom. TUCSON, Ariz. - Arizona women's basketball has hired April Phillipsand Erin Grantas assistant coaches. The Arizona Board of Regents agenda does not mention UA coach Sean Miller, whose contract expires in 13 months. Their 2021 salaries are $250,000 and $275,000 respectively. ???? Additionally, all three returners from the 2016-17 season (Bennett, Lucia Alonso and Destiny Graham) all set career-highs in points and rebounds. I have never been only motivated by money. 12 in both the AP and Coaches poll, which is the highest final ranking since the 1998 season. Since then, the Huskies have posted five straight, including a 26-win season this year. When did surveillance become a business model and what would it take to rein it in? Adair previously spent 14 seasons in the assistant coaching ranks, with eight years (2004-12) at Wake Forest University and six seasons (1998-04) at Georgetown University. "I write the story here. Arizona hosted and participated in the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament in McKale Center for the first time since 1998 while reaching a record-breaking AP national ranking as high as fourth in the nation. Adair brings her talents to the west coast after five seasons at Delaware, where she compiled a 95-58 record (62.0 percent), including two back-to-back 20-win seasons, and captured the program's third CAA title. Associate Athletic Trainer. "President Crow and our Vice President for University Athletics. I remember Adia as a player she was an impossible matchup for anybody at any level, Auriemma said. The University of Arizona and women's basketball head coach Adia Barnes have agreed to new financial terms to her previous extension through 2025-26 season. The Wildcats finished in second place in the loaded Pac-12, their highest finish since the 2003-04 season when Arizona won the Pac-10. For the first time since 2005, Arizona won at least 20 games for the second year in a row and won at least 24 games in back-to-back seasons for the first time in school history. The Wildcats won three games over top-10 opponents for the first time in school history and also beat their first top-five team in program history after beating No. Once the Wildcats reached the National Championship game, she became the fourth coach to lead her alma mater to the title game. [1] She played at the collegiate level for the University of Arizona, and played seven seasons in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) with the Houston Comets, Seattle Storm, Minnesota Lynx, and Sacramento Monarchs. The team's home venue is the McKale Center, which seats . Special Assistant to Head Coach. The team is a Division I member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Pac-12 athletic conference. They asked me some questions and what I thought about certain things. Bart Jameson. I always think about the people. @kescott12. In 1998, Bonvicini said of Barnes: Shes a sweetheart off the floor, but she is a mean sucker on the court. She played in Seattle from 2002-04 where she connected with Bird. The official website for Arizona Athletics at the University of Arizona in Tucson. Additionally, the Hens logged 80-plus points in six different contests for the first time in six seasons while logging five straight games of 70-plus points to open the year while UD only reached 70-plus points three times in each of the previous two seasons. Arizona finished the year ranked No. 2 in the final coaches poll. 9 Oregon State was the first time in school history Arizona beat a top-10 team on the road. I took it, and I made it a good job with the player and the staff and all the support I have," Barnes said. At the College of Charleston, Adair posted a 35-31 overall record. Thank you @AariMcdonald for your effort and grace. During the shortened 2020-21 season, Arizona still managed to win 20 games for the third year in a row, a feat that hasnt been seen since 2005. The Daily Wildcat Presents:Confronting Scarcity. Barnes also earned a $10,000 bonus because the Wildcats finished in the Top 10; they are No. McDonald, Bart Assistant Athletic Director for Communications Matt Ensor could not provide specific numbers on Thursday. $30,000 for the Sweet 16 win over Texas A&M. She has over 700 wins as the coach at Long Beach State and Arizona, where she coached from 1991-2008. A three-time all-conference selection and '98 graduate of Arizona, Barnes was voted USBWA first-team All-American and Pac-10 player of the year in 1997-98. Let us come to you. "And I will admit that this was the very first NCAA women's basketball games that I ever watched and I watched two of them and they were spectacular. #MadeForIt ?, Proud of the #Arizonawomen, they elevated the program to new heights. Davis, Erin The Daily Wildcat publishes daily at DailyWildcat.com, and regularly distributes its nationally-recognized print newspaper across the UA campus and neighboring communities. ASU has a tradition of success, and me and my staff will work tirelessly to win.". It wasnt just Barnes salary that went up a lot in the new contract, which is expected to be approved by the Arizona Board of Regents during its next meeting April 14-16. Kayla Scott. Congratulation's to @AdiaBarnes and the entire @ArizonaWBB team for their historic run at this year's NCAA tournament. The University of Arizona women's basketball team has made it to its first-ever Final Four.The third-seeded Wildcats beat Stony Brook University and Brigham Young University in the first two rounds, and then 2-seed Texas A&M and 4-seed Indiana to make it to the national semifinal.Their next game is April 2 against No. When Barnes took over the job at Arizona in 2016, this was a bad job, and people thought there was no turning around this program. TEMPE, Ariz. - Natasha Adair has been named the head coach for the Arizona State University women's basketball program, on March 27, 2022, as announced by Vice President for University Athletics and Athletics Director Ray Anderson. What a game!!!! Lori Riley can be reached at [email protected]. It is now really, truly considered among the nation's best.". No matter what, so proud of what this team has accomplished this season. But the buyout drops to just $300,000 in 2023-24, $100,000 in 2024-25 and zero in the final year of her contract. "We're excited to have found that person in Natasha and look forward to the next era of Sun Devil women's basketball.". One of 11 coaches to play and coach in the NCAA Tournament at their alma mater I couldnt be more happy for Adia, Bird said. Grant has been an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at USC the last two seasons.