Dr. Grant is in his sixth year at MIT in 2025-26, 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, while providing opportunities for over 800 student-athletes.
MIT has achieved remarkable success under Dr. Grant's leadership, winning six NCAA team national championships. Most recently, MIT finished sixth in the final LEARFIELD Directors' Cup standings for the 2024-25 academic year, marking the tenth time the Engineers finished in the top-10. MIT captured the NEWMAC Women's Presidents Cup for the tenth straight season and 11th time overall in 2024-25,
MIT won four NCAA Championships during the 2024-25 academic year. Women's swimming and diving captured the first national title in program history, while the women's cross country and track and field program swept all three NCAA Championships in 2024-25, a historic first for an NCAA Division III women's program and the first MIT women's titles in cross country, as well as women's indoor and outdoor track and field. In 2022 the men's cross country program captured its first title and the men's outdoor track and field program won the outdoor championship in 2023. The men's cross country title in 2022 was the first NCAA team title in MIT history.
Upon his arrival at MIT, Grant guiding the department through the 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.
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).
