Thomas “Ice” Griffis(N.C. A&T) out as head boys basketball coach at Grimsley High School:The Search is on for a new Whirlies’ basketball coach

The Grimsley boys basketball job is open…Grimsley is looking for new coach to coach the boy’s team….Thomas “Ice” Griffis, one of the top point guards, if not the top PG, in N.C. A&T men’s basketball history, is OUT…..

The word from Grimsley High School Athletics on Twitter:

“We are truly grateful to Coach Griffis for his dedication to the Grimsley basketball team during his seven-year tenure as head basketball coach,” Grimsley Principal Ged O’Donnell said in an E-mail release.

“We wish him the best of luck in the future. As we move forward, Grimsley feels that it would be beneficial to have a basketball coach who also teaches/works within the school.”

Coach Thomas Griffis overall record over seven seasons at Grimsley was 78-99, per Joe Sirera at the News and Record…

Grimsley will go right to work in their efforts to find a new coach/replacement for Coach Griffis…

We talked about this point last Saturday night, saying the Page Pirates, who are also searching for a new basketball coach, and now we could see Grimsley go after a like target….

Coach Evan Fancourt, currently the head boys basketball coach at Southern Guilford, would be a great choice for the Page job if interested, and Coach Fancourt becomes an automatic candidate for the Grimsley job if interested, since Coach Fancourt is a graduate of Grimsley High School, and he is also the former head JV boys basketball coach at Grimsley and I believe he also spent some time on the Grimsley varsity bench, as a Whirlie varsity assistant…

I think Coach Fancourt also is a former Grimsley player and he is a certified teacher that can teach in the classroom and that is a top priority in the Grimsley coaching search…

Knowing Coach Fancourt is a hot commodity, that may be why Grimsley made their move today, so they can after Coach Fancourt, while he is still available…

And who is not to say that Coach Fancourt will not stay at Southern Guilford High School, and remain the coach of the Southern Guilford Storm…That could be the case and that could happen..

But, when I spoke to Coach Fancourt a few weeks back, he said he would always have to look to advance in his basketball coaching career and no disrespect toward Southern Guilford, but with both Page and Grimsley being larger 4-A schools, going from Southern Guilford to either Page or Grimsley, those would be steps up from 3-A to 4-A, and moves forward and not lateral….

We shall see what we shall see, and Matt Harder, the Page Athletic Director, with input from Page principal Eric Naglee, will lead the Page basketball coaching search and Ethan Albright, the interim Grimsley AD, will lead the Grimsley basketball coaching search, along with Grimsley principal, Ged O’Donnell, who last year was leading Kiser Middle School, and last year Eric Naglee was leading Northwest Middle School…Last year Matt Harder was still the Page boys basketball coach and Ethan Albright was the Page Pirates’ assistant football coach…

So you talk about change, you got it my brothers and sisters……And as our old friend Karen Carpenter used to say, “We’ve Only Just Begun”…..

And if the schools need any input from me on selecting the new coaches, then you have my initial thoughts…Back in the day the Greensboro College AD’s would always call me in when selecting their new basketball coaches…I tend to have these hunches, and usually about ? times out of 10, I am right…I can’t reveal all of my success rates…That would be giving too much away, but I have helped select college coaches, high school coaches, youth coaches and once I helped pick out our new milkman….

We shall see what we shall see….Stay Tuned…..

++++++++++Here is another note for you, the boys assistant basketball coach at Southwest Guilford High School, Greg Vlazny, would make a great candidate for either the Page or Grimsley jobs…Don’t sleep on Greg Vlazny, he is one of the next top prospects for a Guilford County boys basketball coaching job.++++++++++

^^^^^^^^^^Here is another local note for you….I grew up playing basketball against both Evan Fancourt and Ethan Albright at Forest Valley outdoor basketball court…Although I was 20-30 years older than both of those guys, it was still fun tying to keep up with them…Those suckers were tough on the outdoor slab and I still wish I did not have to play barefoot on that concrete…When I blew out both of my basketball shoes, it sure changed the way I had to play the game….But I never missed a Sunday Zion….I carried on with my bare feet and no shoes in 20 degree weather in Januarys…Boy it was tough back then, and it sure made it tougher trying to keep up with Evan and Ethan…..Today my feet and my pride have healed and I moved over to Jefferson School…^^^^^^^^^^

4 thoughts on “Thomas “Ice” Griffis(N.C. A&T) out as head boys basketball coach at Grimsley High School:The Search is on for a new Whirlies’ basketball coach

  1. Andy, I love Greensboro Sports, and the information that you provide in regards to high school basketball. I also have an affinity for live sports radio, so I listen to the area games you broadcast with great joy. We have interviewed on many occasions, and you have been correct with the spelling previously. Even my favorite reporter, Tom Northington, stumbled with this early in my career at A&T. However, he quickly got it correct. So, I just chalk it up to you being as baffled as anybody else. But, my last name is Griffis!! Not Griffiths.

    Much love and respect!!

  2. Furthermore, if I had the choice of a coach to succeed and build upon what we have established at Grimsley, it would be Evan Fancourt. He is a good coach and a class act.

    Him along with assistant coach Justin Drabot, who is currently a Grimsley science teacher, would make for a smooth transition.

    Neither Page or Grimsley can go wrong!!

  3. BTW, here is a quick update from the Grimsley Athletics desk….

    from Friday, WS Reagan 11, Grimsley 1, in Boys Lacrosse….

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