Former Akron Zips men’s basketball head coach John Groce was hired by Charleston as their next head coach Monday. The decision comes on the heels of the Zips’ third consecutive Mid-American Conference title win, and fourth in five seasons.

The 2025-26 campaign saw one of the most successful seasons in Groce’s tenure, as the Zips set a program record 29 wins and won the MAC Tournament, but did not win the conference regular season title on account of the Miami RedHawks magical season.

“In my eyes, this is their best team,” Kent State coach Rob Senderoff said of the Zips 2026 campaign. “To me, this is one of the best teams we have played against in my time here.”

The Flashes had their fair share of struggles against Groce, including three losses to the Zips this past season and a losing streak of eight games dating back to 2024.

Finishing his career at Akron with an overall record of 197-94, Groce finished 114-50 in conference and owns the best winning percentage in the MAC since 2019.

Charleston hired Groce as a replacement for former head coach Chris Mack, who departed for South Carolina last week. 

The Zips will now begin a head coach search with the expectation that they will be highly interested in Dustin Ford. Ford has been a part of Groce’s coaching staff for 18 years, dating back to his time before Akron.

Josh Szeremet is a reporter. Contact him at [email protected].