The 2025-26 season will mark Ian Grady’s eighth year as head coach of the Slippery Rock University men’s basketball team and his 17th overall season as a coach inside the program.
Grady will enter the upcoming season holding a career record of 99-76 (.566) and having qualified for the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Tournament on six occasions.
Grady is yet to have a losing season as The Rock’s head coach. Only one other active head coach in the PSAC – West Chester’s Damien Blair - began their tenures at their current school’s with more consecutive winning seasons than Grady has at SRU.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic canceling the 2020-21 season, Grady has amassed his 99 wins over just six actual seasons. Only five other active PSAC head coaches have compiled more wins in their first six seasons at their current school than Grady has at SRU.
CAREER AT A GLANCE
• Career record of 99-76 (.566).
• Has led Slippery Rock to six postseason appearances.
• Mentored 11 All-PSAC West honorees as a head coach including one All-Atlantic Region choice.
• Slippery Rock has had 25 student-athletes secure professional basketball contracts during Grady’s entire tenure as an assistant and head coach at SRU.
• After ranking in the bottom half of the PSAC in team GPA for much of the decade preceding his appointment as head coach, Grady-led teams have recorded team GPAs of no worse than 2.91 for six consecutive years - including four seasons above 3.0.
• Currently serves as the Coaches President in the Slippery Rock APSCUF chapter.
• An active participant in the Slippery Rock community as a member of the Slippery Rock Rotary Club.
SEASON-BY-SEASON BREAKDOWN
2024-25
• Ended season with a 15-14 overall record while finishing fourth in the PSAC West standings with a conference mark of 11-9, earning the right to host an opening-round game in the PSAC Tournament.
• Overcame slow start to year by going 13-7 through the remainder of the regular season.
• Closed the regular season with four consecutive victories.
• Five of 14 losses came against NCAA Tournament teams.
• SRU ranked 16th in the nation in blocks per game (4.7), 22nd in fastbreak scoring (15.98 ppg), 23rd in steals per game (9.7), 33rd in free throws made per game (16.7) and 34th in turnovers per game (15.9).
• Slippery Rock won at Indiana (Pa.) for the first time since 1992 and earned a season-sweep of the Crimson Hawks for the first time since 1990-91.
• Jomo Goings named to All-PSAC West Team.
• Five members of the program were named PSAC Scholar-Athletes.
• Team GPA of 3.035.
2023-24
• Guided The Rock through a tough start to the year to win 14 of final 21 games in regular season to secure a PSAC Tournament berth.
• SRU defeated Seton Hill in the PSAC Tournament first round for Grady’s first postseason win as a head coach. Year ended in quarterfinal loss to nationally ranked California (Pa.), giving The Rock a 16-14 overall record.
• Finished year third in the PSAC West standings with a conference mark of 13-9.
• Slippery Rock was a near flawless 13-1 inside Morrow Field House.
• Nine losses were single-digit defeats.
• The Rock ranked sixth in the nation - and led the PSAC - in blocks per game (5.1). Also ranked second in the PSAC in field goal percentage defense (.421), second in rebounds per game (39.23), third in rebounding margin (+2.1), third in fastbreak points per game (13.6) and fifth in free throw percentage (.742).
• Maceo Austin and Jomo Goings named to All-PSAC West Team.
• Five members of the program were named
PSAC Scholar-Athletes.
2022-23
• Recorded second consecutive season with a 17-12 overall record and another berth into the PSAC Tournament.
• Slippery Rock posted a dominant 12-4 record at Morrow Field House.
• Four of 12 losses came by seven points or less.
• The Rock ranked, first in the PSAC, and 19th in the nation, in blocks per game (4.2) as well as fifth in the PSAC in turnovers per game (12.8), fifth in offensive rebounding (11.9), sixth in steals per game (8.0), sixth in points allowed per game (71.4), seventh in rebounding margin (+1.9), seventh in overall rebounding (36.69) and seventh in turnover margin (+1.3).
• Six members of the program were named PSAC Scholar-Athletes.
• Amante Britt and Khalid Gates named to All-PSAC West Team.
2021-22
• Completed first official season following the Covid-19 pandemic with a 17-12 record.
• Of The Rock’s 12 losses, seven came by seven or fewer points.
• Won six of final seven games in regular season to once again qualify for the PSAC Tournament.
• Slippery Rock went 11-5 at Morrow Field House.
• The Rock ranked second in the PSAC in both offensive rebounds per game (13.86) and 3-pointers made per game (8.3) as well as third in blocks (3.9), fourth in turnovers committed (11.4), fourth in rebounding margin (+4.1), fourth in turnover margin (+2.1), fourth in turnovers per game (11.4), fifth in free throw percentage (73.2), sixth in scoring (79.0) and sixth in steals (7.2)
• SRU scored the ninth-most points in program history as well as the third highest 3-point total (242).
• Four Slippery Rock athletes recognized as PSAC Scholar-Athletes.
• Frankie Hughes and Tyler Frederick named to All-PSAC West Team.
2020-21
• Season canceled due to Covid-19 pandemic.
• Four Slippery Rock athletes recognized as PSAC Scholar-Athletes.
2019-20
• Slippery Rock finished season 15-14 and once again qualified for the PSAC Tournament.
• SRU played a tough schedule again in 2019-20 with seven games against teams that would qualify for the NCAA Tournament - three of which came early in the season while Micah Till out of the lineup.
• The Rock’s most impressive win came on the road at Mercyhurst, which finished the year as a sixth-seed in the NCAA Tournament.
• Slippery Rock ranked third in the PSAC in offensive rebounding (12.6), fourth in blocks per game (3.8), fifth in rebounding margin (+4.3), fifth in overall rebounding (38.3), seventh in turnovers per game (13.2), eighth in points allowed (74.3) and eighth in turnovers committed per game (13.2)
• Till and Will Robinson Jr. named to All-PSAC West Team.
• Three Slippery Rock athletes recognized as PSAC Scholar-Athletes.
2018-19
• Despite the injuries to key players, Slippery Rock put together a 19-10 record in 2018-19 that concluded with the No. 2 seed in the PSAC West.
• The Rock ended 2018-19 leading the PSAC in blocks per game (5.66) as well as ranking third in the league in rebounds per game (40.6), fourth in turnover margin (+2.45), fourth in opponent turnovers per game (15.9), fifth in 3-pointers made (253), sixth in field goal percentage defense (.421) and sixth in points per game (79.5).
• Included in The Rock’s 19 wins in were four victories over teams that would qualify for the NCAA Tournament. SRU defeated Mercyhurst, which went on to advance to the Elite Eight, twice.
• Slippery Rock went 12-3 at Morrow Field House.
• The Rock’s victory against IUP came when the Crimson Hawks were ranked third in the country, marking the highest ranked team that SRU has defeated in program history.
• A 108-70 victory over Carlow on Nov. 14 marked Grady’s first win as a head coach.
• Micah Till and Jared Armstrong named to All-PSAC West Team with Till going on to earn all-region accolades.
• Three Slippery Rock athletes recognized as PSAC Scholar-Athletes.
THE ROCK IN THE CLASSROOM
• Grady has spearheaded an unprecedented focus on academics for the Slippery Rock men’s basketball program since becoming head coach.
• On his watch, Rock men’s basketball have recorded a team GPA above 3.0 in four of the last seven seasons including an 11-year high of 3.08 in 2021-22.
• After having just 11 PSAC Scholar-Athletes from 2006 to 2017 (12 seasons), SRU men’s basketball has produced 30 scholar-athletes during Grady’s tenure as head coach.
COACHING TIMELINE
• 2009-11: Slippery Rock (graduate assistant)
• 2012-18: Slippery Rock (assistant coach)
• 2018-Present: Slippery Rock (head coach)
CAREER PATH
• Grady helped guide Slippery Rock to a stellar 167-101 (.623) record over his nine years as an assistant coach, which included eight winning seasons, five 20-win seasons, seven trips to the PSAC Tournament and three NCAA Tournament berths.
• As an assistant, helped to mentor 17 Rock players have received All-PSAC West honors including 2012-13 PSAC West Defensive Player of the Year Luiz Santos and eventual All-Americans Micah Till, Maron Brown and Devin Taylor.
PLAYING CAREER
• Began collegiate career at Allegany Community College where he helped lead the Trojans to back-to-back Region XX championships. Earned Division I junior college All-America honors as a sophomore.
• Attended Shepherd University as a junior, averaging 9.4 points and 7.1 rebounds per game over eight contests during the fall semester before transferring to Fairmont State University.
• Closed playing career at Fairmont State in 2008-09, starting all 29 games and helping the Falcons to a 20-9 record after recording 7.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.
PERSONAL
• A native of Cumberland, Maryland.
• Graduated from Fairmont State with a bachelor’s degree in Business and Marketing in 2009.
• Earned his master’s degree in Sport Management from Slippery Rock in 2011.
• Grady and his wife, Andrea, reside in Cranberry Township with their children Jinnix and Kennan.
| Ian Grady's Coaching Record |
| Year |
W |
L |
Win % |
Notes |
| 2018-19 |
19 |
10 |
.655 |
PSAC Tournament |
| 2019-20 |
15 |
14 |
.517 |
PSAC Tournament |
| 2020-21 |
Season canceled due to COVID-19 |
| 2021-22 |
17 |
12 |
.586 |
PSAC Tournament |
| 2022-23 |
17 |
12 |
.586 |
PSAC Tournament |
| 2023-24 |
16 |
14 |
.536 |
PSAC Tournament |
| 2024-25 |
15 |
14 |
.517 |
PSAC Tournament |
| 2025-26 |
5 |
1 |
.833 |
- |
| Career |
104 |
77 |
.575 |
- |
