Dr. Grant is in his fifth year at MIT in 2024-25, leading one of the most comprehensive Division III athletics programs in the country. In his role, he directs a department featuring 33 intercollegiate teams, including four Division I rowing programs, providing opportunities for over 800 student-athletes.
MIT has achieved remarkable athletics and academic success under Dr. Grant's leadership, winning NCAA National Championships in Men's (2022) and Women's (2024) Cross Country and in Men's Outdoor Track & Field (2023). The men's cross country title in 2022 was the first NCAA team title in MIT history. Most recently, MIT finished seventh in the final LEARFIELD Directors' Cup standings for the 2023-24 academic year, marking the ninth time the Engineers finished in the top-10. MIT captured the NEWMAC Women's Presidents Cup for the ninth straight season and 10th overall in 2023-24, while winning 11 NEWMAC Championships, earning five top-10 NCAA finishes and a single-season record 143 All-American honors.
Upon his arrival at MIT, Grant guiding the department through a global pandemic. He has since been instrumental in negotiating an exciting re-branding effort which included the transition of the team uniforms and other apparel to Nike, as he worked in conjunction with BSN as the official apparel provider, in addition to increasing fundraising efforts with a record-breaking year for annual gifts in 2022. Grant has overseen several key initiatives, including a successful re-branding effort, a record-breaking fundraising campaign, and a $5 million renovation to the varsity athletics weight room.
During the 2022-23 season, the Engineers finished fourth overall in the Division III LEARFIELD Directors' Cup standings for the second straight year, tying the program's second-highest finish ever. MIT claimed the NEWMAC Women’s Presidents Cup for the eighth straight year and ninth time overall as MIT captured six women’s postseason championships and four regular-season titles. Overall, the Engineers earned 10 NEWMAC postseason championships and set a single-season record with 133 All-Americans.
The men’s cross country and men’s outdoor track and field teams captured NCAA National Championships, as four track and field student-athletes combined for six NCAA individual championships, while eight Engineer teams posted top-10 NCAA finishes. The men’s indoor track and field team finished as National Runner-Up in the fall, with women’s cross country placing seventh nationally. The women’s outdoor track and field earned a podium finish in fourth place, while women’s volleyball won its second-straight NCAA Regional to earn another Elite Eight appearance. Men’s and women’s swimming and diving both finished in the top-10 nationally with fifth and eighth-place finishes respectively, along with softball capturing the NEWMAC and NCAA Regional titles.
Academically, the Engineers had a single-season national record 34 student-athletes earn College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America honors as MIT now has 419 all-time Academic All-America selections. In addition, women’s soccer All-American Karenna Groff became the second MIT student-athlete and sixth all-time Division III performer to be named as the NCAA Woman of the Year.
Grant came to MIT from MSU Denver, where he served as the director of athletics since July 2015. At MSU Denver, he oversaw 16 NCAA Division II teams, over 200 student-athletes and 50 coaches and staff members. During his five-year tenure, Grant focused on the student-athlete experience and aligning the mission of the athletic department with the overall mission of the institution and the Denver community. He also developed a three-year strategic plan for the department from 2017-20 titled, “Building Our Legacy: Continuous Pursuit of Excellence.”
Under his leadership, Grant enhanced the national profile of Roadrunners Athletics by successfully hosting the 2016 NCAA Division II Spring Sport Festival and orchestrating MSU Denver as the host site of the NCAA Division II Softball World Series in 2019, 2021 and 2022. The Roadrunners also served as the host site for the 2018 NCAA Division II Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Regional and the 2019 NCAA Division II Volleyball National Championship. Grant negotiated a new partnership with Nike and Eastbay to bring jerseys and apparel to MSU Denver Athletics, with that agreement going through 2020 with an option to extend through 2022. Under his leadership, the MSU Denver athletics department received a transformational gift for student-athlete scholarships, leading to the naming of the Cohen Center for Athletics at the Regency Athletic Complex.
Prior to MSU Denver, Grant served as the interim director of athletics at Millersville University (Pa.), where he also served as associate director of athletics for seven years. At Millersville, he directed a multimillion-dollar budget and helped fundraise $250,000 for the area. In addition, Grant implemented a comprehensive academic support program that resulted in more than 100 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Scholar-Athletes annually over a six-year period.
In addition, Grant served as the athletic academic coordinator at the University of Iowa for two years. He served as the chair of the NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee and is the former chair of the RMAC Diversity and Inclusion Committee. During his time at MSU Denver, Grant was involved in a number of community organizations, including the Denver Metro Leadership Foundation, Teach for America Colorado (Board Member) and the Denver Sports Commission (Board Member).
Grant earned his Master’s degree from Temple University in sport and recreation, along with a Ph.D. in health and sport studies with a specialization in athletic administration from the University of Iowa. His leadership extends beyond MIT, as he is also involved with NACDA, NADIIIAA, and MOAA. Most recently, he was named to the NADIIIAA Board of Directors for 2025-26.
Anthony and his wife, Lisa, have three children (Gianna, Jadyn and Preston).
