Fired as head coach of Boston College men’s basketball on March 8, Earl Grant wasn’t looking for a new job.

Then an old friend called him. Twice.

“I actually just called him to talk to him about some of his players,” Rick Barnes said. “I didn’t say anything that first call, but then I called back and started talking about it, and there was no doubt in my mind. He was the only person I talked to.”

Grant was introduced on April 23 as an assistant coach to Barnes, and the Tennessee head coach said his new hire will run the team’s defense.

“He loves defense,” Barnes said. “He’s going to bring a wealth of experience, and believe me, we hit a grand slam here.”

For Grant, he didn’t need much convincing.

“I felt like, when coach Barnes called me, and he painted a vision of what he would want me to do, what role he would want me to play to help the program continue to move forward, it just felt like a perfect assignment for me,” Grant said.

On paper, it would seem strange for a 12-year head coach to return to an assistant role. However, Grant and Barnes have a relationship that goes back years.

“I followed Clemson basketball,” Grant said. “He was the coach, and then, over the years, we would see each other out recruiting. We built a relationship that way.”

When the North Charleston native took his first head coaching gig at the College of Charleston, he phoned a familiar face for advice on how to lead a program.

Barnes and his wife vacationed in Charleston, which led to visits and discussions between the two on coaching philosophies and guiding a team.

“We would start out saying we got one hour, and it would last for three hours just talking about basketball and how you build a program,” Grant said. “And so, our relationship really strengthened when I was the head coach at the College of Charleston.”

As he learned to lead a team, Grant said Barnes advised him to get good at three things and to focus his time on the three things he wanted to be good at. So what did the rookie coach decide to focus on?

“Defend, rebound and take care of the ball,” Grant said.

Sound familiar?

The defensive-minded nature of the 12-year head coach seemed a perfect fit for the defense-first philosophy of the 39-year head coach. Still, Barnes had a job opening, but Grant wasn’t thinking about his next opportunity.

“Really wasn’t looking for a job,” Grant said. “Didn’t need a job.”

Focused on filling the voids on his roster rather than the void on his coaching staff, the veteran coach called his protege to discuss players at Boston College. But something changed for Barnes after that call, and his faith took on an integral role in a rapidly evolving process.

“God put it on my heart that, ‘Hey, this is a guy you need to be talking to about a job,’” Barnes said.

When he called his old friend back, both men received an answer to their prayers.

“Prayed a lot about it,” Grant said. “Was looking for an assignment.”

“And I said, ‘Well, I got you a good one,’” Barnes said.

For the 71-year-old, his belief in Grant stemmed from their discussions together in Charleston when the latter was trying to establish himself as a head coach.

“You could feel his love for the game and wanting to learn,” Barnes said.

Before Grant decided on his new assignment, he took some time to visit Knoxville. During his trip, he attended the Orange and White game for the Tennessee football program with multiple athletics figures, including athletic director Danny White.

“I just left (Grant), and when I came back, everybody in that room said, ‘Man, this guy’s good,’” Barnes said.

“From just kind of spending time on campus and meeting so many great people, it was very evident that this is a very special place,” Grant said.

According to Barnes, Grant had opportunities to be a head coach elsewhere. But as Grant sought clarity on his future, his desires came into focus.

“I think having that time, doing the hot yoga and praying and walking and reading, it came clear to me — ‘don’t worry about trying to get a head coaching job,’” Grant said. “Just go find a place that’s a great assignment, so you can serve and have great relationships.”

On April 23, the announcement was made that Grant had been hired as an assistant on Barnes’ staff.

“I’m just thankful that God brought him here,” Barnes said. “He has an assignment here and he knows it’s more than basketball.”

Grant didn’t need a job. Then an old friend called. Now he will serve on staff for a mentor seeking to guide a program to its first-ever Final Four. For him, such an opportunity is his dream, but his aspirations are rooted in service.

“I’ve always had a dream to coach a team to the Final Four,” Grant said. “That’s a dream of mine, and that is still a dream of mine as a head coach. But this is an opportunity to help somebody else. And so for me, I just want to see coach Barnes be successful at the highest level he can be. He deserves it.”