Former UCLA assistant coach David Grace hired to lead FSW men’s basketball program
FORT MYERS, Fla. —
Florida SouthWestern State College has decided who will be the next coach to lead its men’s basketball program.
The Buccaneers named long-time Division I coach David Grace as the team’s new head coach following Darrin Wallace’s departure to become an assistant coach at FGCU.
Grace has more than 25 years of coaching experience, including 14 years at the NCAA Division I level. He has had stints as an assistant coach and leadership roles with multiple basketball programs, including UCLA, Vanderbilt, the University of California, Berkeley, Oregon State University, the University of San Francisco, and Sacramento State.
Grace spent five seasons at UCLA as an assistant men’s basketball coach and recruiting coordinator and helped build five top-five national recruiting classes and the nation’s No. 2-ranked class in 2018. He has also helped recruit and develop future NBA players, such as the second overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, Lonzo Ball.
He was ranked the No. 1 recruiter in the Southeast by his Division I peers in 2020.
During his career, he has helped guide teams to four NCAA Tournament appearances, three Sweet Sixteen berths with UCLA, five 20-win seasons, a Pac-12 Tournament Championship, and a College Basketball Invitational (CBI) Championship.
Grace most recently was the head coach at Campbell High School in Los Angeles.
Before he began his coaching career, Grace served 20 years in the United States Air Force and is the founder of Amazing Grace Warriors, a nonprofit organization focused on youth development and community engagement through mentorship programs, sports camps, and fundraising initiatives.
“Coach Grace’s experience at the highest levels of college basketball, combined with his passion for student-athlete development and leadership, made him an exceptional choice to lead our men’s basketball program,” Dr. Jeff Allbritten, the president of FSW, said.
DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment, and original programming on your TV.