April 14, 2015 - Monday morning, Panola College hired Grant McMillan as its new Men’s Head Basketball Coach. McMillan comes to Panola from Northwest Florida State College where the Raiders just won the 2015 NJCAA National Basketball Championship. Prior to Northwest Florida, Coach McMillan has been at Independence Community College, Howard College, TCU, and Texas A&M. He has a bachelors from Texas Christian University and earned his Masters Degree from Texas A&M University.
“Coach McMillan has had the opportunity to work for some of the best programs and coaches in the country and has a history with winning programs. We are excited about what he will bring to Panola College as we begin a new era in our basketball program,” states Don Clinton, Vice President of Students Services and Athletic Director of Panola College.
This year at Northwest Florida State College they compiled a 33-2 record and won the Panhandle Conference Championship, then the Florida State Championship on their way to winning the NJCAA National Championship.
At Independence Community College the program won the Jayhawk Eastern Division title with a record of 11-1. This was their first conference title in fourteen years. At Independence CC, McMillan recruited and coached three Division I signees including Jimmie Duplessis (Southeastern Louisiana), Chris Ikuneobe (Texas Pan-American), and Jayhawk East Player of the Year and All-American Tarik Phillip (West Virginia).
McMillan worked at Howard College during the 2012-2013 season under National Coach of the Year, Head Coach Mark Adams. The Hawks won the Western Athletic Junior College Conference Championship and posted a record of 30-6 overall and advanced to the NJCAA National Tournament making it to the Elite Eight Round. At Howard, McMillan coached Region 5 Player of the Year Cameron Forte (University of Georgia), Dashaun Wiggins (Portland State), Karim York (Prarie View A&M), Ladon Carter (Tennessee Tech), Jamal Reynolds (Canisius), Marcus Fuggins (Morehead State), and David Joseph (Bowling Green).
Prior to Howard, McMillan was a graduate assistant in 2011-2012 at Texas Christian University, his alma mater, under current Boston College Head Coach Jim Christian. The Horned Frogs made the postseason for the first time in a decade, reaching the second round of the College Basketball Invitational Tournament.
McMillan received his start as a student assistant at TCU under the late Neal Dougherty in 2006.
McMillan is from Van, Texas where he was a point guard on the 2005 Texas 3A State Championship team that finished 38-2.
“There are lots of people that have helped me on this journey, I am forever grateful for that. Panola College is a place I believe that has unlimited potential where we can be successful on and off the floor, stated Coach Grant McMillan.
