Reports: Akron basketball head coach John Groce to depart for Charleston job
Groce, who has led Akron to four of the last five NCAA Tournaments, had emerged as the top option for a Coastal Athletic Association job over the weekend.
John Groce, head coach of the Akron Zips men's basketball team since 2017, will leave the Rubber City to accept the head coaching job at College of Charleston.
Charleston's previous head coach, Chris Mack, recently accepted the same job at the University of South Florida. Field of 68's Jeff Goodman was first to report the negotiations on Saturday afternoon.
ESPN's Pete Thamel later confirmed Groce's intention to leave for Charleston on Monday afternoon.
Groce's reputation as a turnaround artist is well known in mid-major circles. He previously led the Ohio Bobcats from a 15-17 mark in 2008 to an NCAA Round of 32 appearance in 2009 before clinching an Elite 16 bid two seasons later.
Akron has been the toast of the Mid-American Conference basketball landscape under Groce's stewardship, with a 197-94 record over nine seasons, including a 116-51 mark in conference play. Groce has led the Zips to three-straight NCAA Tournament appearances (four appearances in the last five years), two regular-season championships (2020, 2025) and a top seed in the 2020 MAC Championship Tournament before its cancellation due to COVID-19.
Charleston has been one of the best mid-major basketball programs in the South, thriving as a member of the Coastal Athletic Association since moving from the Southern Conference in 2013. The Cougars have won the CAA regular season three times since joining the conference (2018, 2023, 2024), representing the CAA in the NCAA Tournament all three times.
Groce signed a long-term extension with Akron in April 2025, meant to keep him on campus until 2035, which developed from a previous, unannounced extension in 2024. A potential buyout of Groce's contract would cost $350,000, per the Akron Beacon-Journal.
