Boston College became the second ACC team to fire its head coach after showing Earl Grant the door on Sunday. The decision came following Georgia Tech’s firing of Damon Stoudamire this weekend.

Grant was in his fifth year with the Eagles and had three more years on his contract before he got fired. He led the team to an 11-20 finish this season, going 4-14 in ACC play, sitting only ahead of the Yellow Jackets in ACC standings.

We look at five top candidates for the role as the program looks to hire Grant’s replacement ahead of next season.

Top 5 best candidates for Boston College

5. Jared Dudley – Denver Nuggets

What Dudley lacks in coaching college basketball, he has in status as an Eagles legend. The Nuggets assistant coach played four seasons with the Eagles from 2003 to 2007. He attained several achievements with the program, including being named the ACC Player of the Year as a senior in 2007. Coaching his old team can mark the start of a new direction for him.

4. Chris Mack – Charleston

Mack made a mark at Xavier as a player, assistant coach, and head coach before joining Charleston in 2024. He won three regular-season conference titles with the Musketeers, although he couldn’t replicate similar success at Louisville. Nonetheless, he knows his way around the ACC, with experience working at Wake Forest and Xavier. That should count for a lot in Boston College’s estimation.

3. Jay Larranaga – Los Angeles Clippers

Larranaga also has no experience coaching in college, although he has almost two decades of coaching experience. He had stints coaching the Irish men’s national basketball team and in the NBA G League before joining the Boston Celtics in 2012. Is 14 years as an assistant coach in the NBA is worth a gamble by Boston College? It remains to be seen.

2. James Jones – Yale

After 27 years coaching the Yale Bulldogs, it may be time for Jones to move. He has been linked to several openings over the years, but has preferred to stay put at the Ivy League school. However, it’s another coaching carousel, and the door is open at Boston College. The coach is a natural fit for a program like the Eagles that needs a stable and reliable coach.

1. Joe Gallo – Merrimack

The 10th-year coach is a rising star within college basketball, earning the 2026 MAAC Coach of the Year award. Gallo is at a point where a new challenge becomes attractive, and Boston College is exactly that. ACC ball may take some getting used to, with the Eagles’ patience running thin. But the fans will welcome any form of progress at this point.