| Richie Grant |
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In 2007, Grant reached 89 wins and moved his career winning percentage up to .569. His squad had a conference record of 3-2-3 and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Conference USA Tournament. Grant led a talented group of Tigers to a 10-5-4 season in 2007. It marked the third consecutive season that the Tigers have reached the 10-win plateau. Four of his players made the NSCAA All-Midwest Team and C-USA All-Conference teams. Ryan Ruble became the seventh freshman of Grant's career to be named to the C-USA All-Freshman Team. Grant's players stayed active in the classroom as they received numerous academic awards, including Jared Britcher who was named to the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-America Third Team for the second time in his career.
Grant has been named Conference USA Coach of the Year twice in his career and led his 2004 team to a conference title and its first NCAA appearance since 1993. Ever since 2004 Grant's team has been in the Top 25 at least once during the season and has been one of the most successful soccer programs around. Since his arrival at Memphis in 1999, Grant has failed to reach the .500 mark only twice. He led the team to its first conference title in 2004 and the first NCAA tournament since 1993.
Immediately following the 2004 conference championship, proof of the team's overall strength was solidified in the form of a nationally-ranked offense, Grant's fourth in seven years. The 2005 Tigers led C-USA and were third in the nation in goals-per-game (2.56) and were second in C-USA in goals (46), assists (43) and points (135). Two forwards from the 2005 squad were drafted by Major League Soccer (MLS) franchises.
The 2004 campaign also marked a new era of defensive dominance for Memphis soccer. The defensive unit set school records for goals allowed and goals-against average (0.70), which was ninth-best in the country. The following season, goalkeeper Tyler Strom led C-USA with an .815 save percentage.
The 2006 campaign showed the same kind of promise. The Tigers opened the season with eight wins in their first 10 matches and reached a No. 15 ranking in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) poll.
Prior to Memphis, Grant led the turn around for Lambuth University soccer in Jackson, Tenn. In his four years at Lambuth, he led the Eagles to consecutive Mid-South Conference titles and an NAIA Region XI championship while posting a 53-29-2 record.
In his 13 years as a head coach, Grant has accumulated 132 wins and a .590 winning percentage. In his nine years at Memphis, he is 89-66-12.
As a player, Grant was a three-time NAIA All-American defender and was twice named the NAIA District V Player of the Year at Green Mountain College in Poultney, Vt., where he received his bachelor's degree in leisure resources and facilities management in 1993. Grant then went on to play for the Minnesota Thunder, a semi-pro team that competes in the A-league.
After one season with the Thunder, Grant took a coaching position at Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania and earned his master's degree in communication studies while working as an assistant coach from 1993-95.
Grant earned his NSCAA Advanced National Diploma in 1997 and then his NSCAA Premier Diploma in 2002. He served as the head coach of Tennessee's Under-23 Olympic Development Team in 2001. He is currently in his seventh year at the helm of the Tennessee U-17 ODP squad. Grant served as the head coach of the U-17 Super Clubs national all-star team, which toured England in the summer of 2001 for a week of matches against top international competition.
Grant is married to Memphis assistant women's soccer coach Jodi Grant and has four siblings. His parents, Richie and Annette, live in Dublin, Ireland.
Year-by-Year Breakdown
Year W-L-T PCT. CONF. HOME ROAD NEUTRAL
1999 7-11-0 .389 2-6-0 4-5-0 2-6-0 1-0-0
2000 14-6-0 .700 6-4-0 6-3-0 4-1-0 4-2-0
2001 6-9-2 .412 3-6-1 4-3-1 2-4-1 0-2-0
2002 10-7-1 .583 3-7-1 4-4-0 6-3-1 0-0-0
2003 8-8-2 .500 1-6-2 4-4-2 2-4-0 2-0-0
2004 16-4-1 .786 8-1-0 8-1-0 5-3-1 3-0-0
2005 8-8-2 .500 3-4-2 5-2-1 2-5-1 1-1-0
2006 10-8-0 .555 6-3-0 3-1-0 0-4-0 0-0-0
2007 10-5-4 .632 3-2-3 7-1-2 1-3-1 2-1-1
Total 89-66-12 .569 35-39-9 45-24-6 24-33-5 13-6-1
