Charleston Eyes John Groce as Chris Mack’s Successor | Reports

Reports on March 28 say College of Charleston is pursuing Akron head coach John Groce. ESPN reporter Jeff Borzello shared via X that there is mutual interest between Groce and the Cougars.

Potential hire and timing

Sources indicate Charleston eyes John Groce to succeed Chris Mack. The outreach follows Mack’s departure from the program earlier this week.

Those discussions have drawn attention because Groce has led Akron since 2017. The timeline accelerated after recent coaching movement in the region.

Groce’s résumé

Groce worked as an assistant at Xavier from 2001 to 2004. He then served as Ohio’s head coach from 2008 to 2012.

He moved to Illinois as head coach from 2012 to 2017. At Akron, he secured the Mid-American Conference tournament’s automatic NCAA berth.

Broader coaching turnover

Chris Mack left Charleston earlier in the week to take the South Florida head coaching job. Mack was previously a Xavier player and later its head coach.

Longtime Xavier assistant Dante Jackson also departed to join Mack’s staff at USF. Those moves prompted Charleston to seek experienced options.

On-court context and connections

Akron entered the NCAA Tournament as a 12 seed. The Zips kept a tight game with No. 5 Texas Tech for most of the round of 64.

Meanwhile, Miami’s Travis Steele reflected on his program after a loss to Tennessee. The RedHawks earned an at-large NCAA bid and became the first MAC team to play in the First Four.

Family and commentary

John Groce is the half-brother of Miami head coach Travis Steele. That relationship added a human element to tournament narratives.

Commentators argued Miami should not have been placed in the First Four. Some analysts blamed the perceived weakness of the conference for that placement.

Filmogaz.com will monitor developments as talks continue. Expect updates if mutual interest turns into an official hire.