Grant Achilles

Baseball Head Coaching Chair

Grant Achilles is in his ninth full season as the head coach of Brown Baseball in 2023.

Achilles spent two seasons as an assistant coach for the Bears before taking over the head coaching duties midway through the 2014 season. He was named the program’s 17th head coach since 1900 on June 23, 2014, while the program was founded in 1863.

After the 2020 campaign was cut short after just 12 games and the 2021 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Achilles led a young Bears squad in 2022 that had three All-Ivy selections including First Team honoree Tobey McDonough, Second Team selection Ryan Marra and Third Team reliever Paxton Meyers. Achilles also mentored catcher Jacob Burley, who led the Ivy League in runners caught stealing. Brown’s pitching staff also ranked second overall in the Ivy League with a 5.47 ERA.

Brown earned three All-Ivy selections in 2019, including Joe Lomuscio ’21 and Mark Sluys ’19 on the First Team, as the Bears had multiple First Team honorees for the third time in four seasons. Lomuscio was also named the program's second CoSIDA Academic All-American in three seasons. In 2018, Parke Phillips ’20 and Will Tomlinson ’20 were both named All-Ivy, while pitcher JJ Sliepka ’19 earned CoSIDA Academic All-District honors. Right-handed pitcher Reid Anderson ’18 was drafted by the New York Yankees following the season, giving the Bears four draftees in three years.

Brown earned six All-Ivy selections in 2017, including multiple First Team honorees for the second straight season, and had three selections on the First Team for the first time since 2010. Rob Henry ’17 was named a unanimous First Team selection after hitting .390 in league play, while Josh Huntley ’17 earned First Team recognition for the second time in as many seasons. Fellow senior Marc Sredojevic ’17 rounded out the trio of First Team selections after a standout year at first base, pacing the team in slugging, on-base percentage and walks. In addition, Christian Taugner ’17 was named to the Second Team, and Sam Grigo ’18 and Cameron Deere ’20 collected honorable mention accolades.

After the 2017 season, Taugner and Henry were both selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the MLB Draft, giving the Bears multiple selections in the same draft for the first time since 2005.

In 2016, Brown landed four All-Ivy selections, including multiple First Team honorees for the first time since the 2010 season. Josh Huntley ’17 was named to the First Team after leading the team with a .361 average in league play, developing into one of the top offensive catchers in the league. Reliever Dante Bosnic ’18 was also named to the First Team, while outfielder Jake Levine ’16 and right-hander Christian Taugner ’17 both earned Second Team accolades. Following the season, left-handed pitcher Austin French ’16 was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft. He was Brown’s second draftee in three years and highest selection (27th round) since 2011.

In 2015, Achilles' first full season as head coach, the Bears finished with an overall record of 11-28 and improved across the board in several offensive categories, including team batting average (.270), on-base percentage (.349) and slugging (.401). Rob Henry ’17 was named Second Team All-Ivy following the season after he ranked second in the Ivy League in batting average and doubles, while Chris Smith '15 and Jake Levine '16 earned Honorable Mention honors. Henry was also named to the NEIBA Division I Second Team. In addition, Levine was named to the Capital One Academic All-District First Team, which recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom.

The Bears’ 2020 season was shortened due to COVID-19, and the team did not compete in 2021 due to COVID-19.

Before Brown, Achilles spent one year as an assistant coach at Georgetown University. While coaching for the Hoyas, Achilles worked primarily with the hitters, developing an offense that had a team batting average of .274 in Big East play, an improvement of .033 from the previous year. Two of his protégés were named to the All-Big East team for the 2012 season, with infielder Mike Garza earning First Team honors and outfielder Justin Leeson being selected for the Third Team. Garza’s 86 hits tied the Georgetown single-season hits record, and he was drafted and signed by the Milwaukee Brewers at the end of the season. Leeson hit a career best .325 and was drafted by the Kansas City Royals.

Prior to his year at Georgetown, Achilles spent two seasons as a volunteer assistant on the staff at Wake Forest, working primarily with hitters and outfielders. At the conclusion of the 2010 season, the Kansas City Royals signed outfielder Steven Brooks to a minor league contract, and in 2011, the Demon Deacons returned to the ACC tournament for the first time since 2008.

Achilles also served on the staff at Western Carolina for two years, earning a promotion to assistant head coach after his first season. While at WCU, Achilles helped guide the Catamounts to two winning seasons, including a 35-22 mark in 2009.

Achilles spent a season with the Charlotte 49ers baseball program before joining the staff at Western Carolina, working with the catchers, assisting with the defense and hitters, and also serving as the first base coach. The 49ers completed one of the most successful seasons in program history under his guidance, earning 49 wins and advancing to the Columbia, SC Regional in the NCAA tournament. While in Charlotte, Achilles worked with Kris Rochelle, an All-Atlantic 10 catcher and a 2007 Detroit Tigers draft pick.

A member of the team at Wake Forest from 2002-06, Achilles was a four-year letter winner for the Demon Deacons. He appeared in 56 games, making 19 starts, while playing a variety of positions, including first base, second base, right field and catcher.

Originally from Lynchburg, Va., Achilles graduated from Wake Forest in 2006 with a degree in communication. He has two brothers, Chad and Todd, both of whom attended Wake Forest. Todd also played baseball for the Demon Deacons, serving as an infielder from 1997-2001.

Grant and his wife, Elizabeth, currently reside in Providence, R.I., with their daughters, Ali Jo and Lana Gray, and golden retriever, Scout Finch.

ALL-IVY SELECTIONS (21)
Rob Henry (2015, 2017), Chris Smith (2015), Jake Levine (2015, 2016), Dante Bosnic (2016), Josh Huntley (2016, 2017), Christian Taugner (2016, 2017), Marc Sredojevic (2017), Sam Grigo (2017), Cameron Deere (2017), Parke Phillips (2018), Will Tomlinson (2018), Joe Lomuscio (2019), Mark Sluys (2019), Dustin Baird (2019), Tobey McDonough (2022), Ryan Marra (2022), Paxton Meyers (2022)