Jeremy Growe is moving on

The man that Coach Travis Steele said “knows our...system like the back of his hand,” is moving on. Jeremy Growe broke his own news on Twitter today to say that he would be taking an assistant coach position at Furman University. For a guy in a Special Assistant role at Xavier, it’s an unquestionable step up, and a well earned one at that.

Growe had also held the position of Director of Basketball Operations at Xavier. In that role he had served as the liaison between the basketball team and the rest of the campus, specifically the academic side. Growe’s service and success in that role are evident in the amount of former players that have taken to social media to thank him.

So where does this leave Xavier? Lest anyone look at the title “special assistant” and think of Dwight from The Office, Growe’s impact on the program was significant. For one, he was a fixture. Jeremy had been at Xavier in some role for a decade. That his time coincided with the longest run of success in program and the switch to the Big East speaks to his ability to adapt to the new challenges that came his way. Growe had become something of a fixture behind Xavier’s bench, frequently leaning forward to offer advice to Travis Steele.

This leaves the Musketeers with Jonas Hayes, Ben Johnson, and Dante Jackson as coaches on staff. Last year’s staff also Trey Scotti, Bo Burkhart, and Sam Frayer. Whether one of the last three gets tapped up for a promotion along the lines of the one that Growe got to land on the travelling squad or Steele looks elsewhere to find someone to make sure the team and the campus are on the same page, the departure of Jeremy Growe leaves large shoes to fill behind the scenes.