DePaul University Athletics
Grant Named Women's Basketball Video Coordinator
6/18/2019 12:50:00 PM | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Former DePaul standout returns to Lincoln Park after working on USF's coaching staff
CHICAGO – After two years working on the USF women's basketball staff, former DePaul standout Jacqui Grant is coming back home.
Coach Doug Bruno has announced that the 2017 BIG EAST Co-Defensive Player of the Year and All-BIG EAST First Team selection will succeed Bradley Bruno as the Blue Demons' video coordinator. Bradley Bruno takes over as the program's Director of Community, Corporate and Professional Relations.
As a force inside while also a threat from three-point range, the 6-foot-3-inch Grant helped lead DePaul to the NCAA Sweet 16 and the NCAA Second Round during her two seasons in Lincoln Park after transferring from Illinois. As a senior, Grant led the BIG EAST in blocked shots and was second in rebounding. She averaged nearly 12 points a game in 2016-17 along with 8.5 rebounds.
"I had kept in touch with coach Bruno, and after finishing my two-year term as a graduate assistant on USF's women's basketball staff, I was looking for the next step in my goal to coach in college," Grant said. "At USF I assisted the director of basketball operations, did some film work and teamed up with assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Jesyka Burks-Wiley working with the post players.
"Coming back to DePaul is an opportunity to further my goal of one day coaching in college. I'm very excited, and it was like deja-vu coming back to campus. I am excited to be working with coaches who had become like a part of my family when I played here."
Bruno was pleased to add Grant to his nationally respected coaching staff.
"Jacqui Grant was a special player for us who made up her mind upon graduating from DePaul that she wanted to become a coach," Bruno said. "She did a great job for two years as a graduate assistant for coach Jose Fernandez at USF.
"Jacqui is familiar with our program. The work ethic and experience she developed at USF will make her a very valuable addition to the 2019-20 DePaul women's basketball staff."
Grant said she is shooting to bring everything she learned about USF's Top 25 program back to Lincoln Park in an effort to enhance the Blue Demons' nationally ranked team.
"USF has developed a formula for success that's a little different from DePaul," Grant said. "I want to combine the best of what I learned at USF with what I learned previously while playing at DePaul and use that to help the Blue Demon program continue to succeed.
"In some ways, USF and DePaul are similar. Like DePaul, USF is a top program that sometimes gets overlooked. At both schools, there are no excuses---just get it done."
Grant believes it will be a seamless adjustment from former DePaul player to a member of the coaching staff.
"My transition will be a smooth one. Being away for those two years allowed me to grow as a person and a staff member.
"Kelly Campbell and Chanté Stonewall are the only players on the team now that I had as teammates. We've kept in touch, and it's nice to see how much progress they've both made since their freshmen year.
"I can be someone those two and all the other players can talk to about basketball things and anything that will help them out. Kelly and Chanté know that becoming an assistant coach is a future goal and they respect that."
Spending time in Tampa provided Grant a valuable head-start to her basketball ambition.
"I want to thank my USF coaching family for doing such a good job preparing me to do well in my next position," she said. "If I had not spent two years at USF, who knows if I'd even be here now.
"I will be the new video coordinator, and I liked working with film at USF. Working with the post players at USF, coach Burks-Wiley allowed me to learn and experience things for myself. Those two years in Tampa helped me realize I really want to do this for a living."
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Coach Doug Bruno has announced that the 2017 BIG EAST Co-Defensive Player of the Year and All-BIG EAST First Team selection will succeed Bradley Bruno as the Blue Demons' video coordinator. Bradley Bruno takes over as the program's Director of Community, Corporate and Professional Relations.
As a force inside while also a threat from three-point range, the 6-foot-3-inch Grant helped lead DePaul to the NCAA Sweet 16 and the NCAA Second Round during her two seasons in Lincoln Park after transferring from Illinois. As a senior, Grant led the BIG EAST in blocked shots and was second in rebounding. She averaged nearly 12 points a game in 2016-17 along with 8.5 rebounds.
"I had kept in touch with coach Bruno, and after finishing my two-year term as a graduate assistant on USF's women's basketball staff, I was looking for the next step in my goal to coach in college," Grant said. "At USF I assisted the director of basketball operations, did some film work and teamed up with assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Jesyka Burks-Wiley working with the post players.
"Coming back to DePaul is an opportunity to further my goal of one day coaching in college. I'm very excited, and it was like deja-vu coming back to campus. I am excited to be working with coaches who had become like a part of my family when I played here."
Bruno was pleased to add Grant to his nationally respected coaching staff.
"Jacqui Grant was a special player for us who made up her mind upon graduating from DePaul that she wanted to become a coach," Bruno said. "She did a great job for two years as a graduate assistant for coach Jose Fernandez at USF.
"Jacqui is familiar with our program. The work ethic and experience she developed at USF will make her a very valuable addition to the 2019-20 DePaul women's basketball staff."
Grant said she is shooting to bring everything she learned about USF's Top 25 program back to Lincoln Park in an effort to enhance the Blue Demons' nationally ranked team.
"USF has developed a formula for success that's a little different from DePaul," Grant said. "I want to combine the best of what I learned at USF with what I learned previously while playing at DePaul and use that to help the Blue Demon program continue to succeed.
"In some ways, USF and DePaul are similar. Like DePaul, USF is a top program that sometimes gets overlooked. At both schools, there are no excuses---just get it done."
Grant believes it will be a seamless adjustment from former DePaul player to a member of the coaching staff.
"My transition will be a smooth one. Being away for those two years allowed me to grow as a person and a staff member.
"Kelly Campbell and Chanté Stonewall are the only players on the team now that I had as teammates. We've kept in touch, and it's nice to see how much progress they've both made since their freshmen year.
"I can be someone those two and all the other players can talk to about basketball things and anything that will help them out. Kelly and Chanté know that becoming an assistant coach is a future goal and they respect that."
Spending time in Tampa provided Grant a valuable head-start to her basketball ambition.
"I want to thank my USF coaching family for doing such a good job preparing me to do well in my next position," she said. "If I had not spent two years at USF, who knows if I'd even be here now.
"I will be the new video coordinator, and I liked working with film at USF. Working with the post players at USF, coach Burks-Wiley allowed me to learn and experience things for myself. Those two years in Tampa helped me realize I really want to do this for a living."
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Players Mentioned
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