To watch a replay of the press conference, click here. On the left side, click on the box that reads "Grant McCasland: Press Conference." Move slider to 9:15 for best sound. McCasland takes the podium shortly after the 9:15 mark.
ABILENE – Grant McCasland was officially welcomed to ACU late Wednesday morning with a press conference at the Hunter Welcome Center where he was introduced as the 15th head coach in men's basketball program history.
McCasland joins the ACU athletics department after five seasons as the head coach at Midland College and the last two as the head coach at Midwestern State. In seven seasons as a head coach he has compiled a remarkable 199-44 record as a head coach, led Midland to the 2007 NJCAA national championship and took Midwestern State to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight in each of his two seasons in Wichita Falls.
However, he's excited about the potential he sees in a Wildcat basketball program that has just one winning season since the 1998-99 season and has made just one appearance in the Lone Star Conference Post-Season Tournament since the 1997-98 season.
"I can't say enough about (ACU director of athletics)
Jared Mosley and (ACU president) Dr. Phil Schubert," McCasland told a crowd of about 100 people at his introductory press conference. "I can't say enough about their diligence and their vision for the basketball program and for the athletics department as a whole.
"This is a very, very, very special place in athletics and in all areas," he said. "As a basketball coach, you look at the success of the athletics department as a whole and when you see the success this department has enjoyed it's something that really excites me."
McCasland was introduced to the ACU family and Abilene community just one week after his last Midwestern State team was knocked out of the national tournament. It was a quick transition from MSU to ACU, but one that McCasland said was led by God's hand.
"There's no doubt that God has opened an amazing door for my family," McCasland said. "This is an answer to prayer because of what God has called our family to, and because of the mission that God has called me to, and that's coaching basketball. To be able to do it at a place like ACU is something we're very excited about as a family."
And even though the Wildcats haven't had much success lately on the basketball floor, McCasland said he believes much better days are ahead for ACU men's basketball.
"My hope and plan is that we win a lot of games, but that we do it the right way and that we honor God in the way that we do it," he said. "I'm excited about next year and what we're going to do. I'm looking forward to where we're going and how God's going to use us."
