The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
John Grant, dedicated teacher and basketball coach
John Grant gave Seb Coe a run for his money, founded one of Scotland’s top basketball sides and taught PE in Angus over two decades.
He died suddenly aged 66 on Saturday March 27 while cycling in the Carse of Gowrie.
Mr Grant’s wife, Alison, said her husband was out with friends and had tackled a hill near Glendoick when he collapsed, suffering a heart attack.
Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance attended and Mrs Grant said donations can be made to the organisation in her husband’s memory.
William John Grant was born in Pitlochry on January 29 1955 to John and Janet Grant.
He received his primary and the first four years of secondary education in the town before moving to Breadalbane Academy in Aberfeldy.
Mr Grant studied physical education for four years at Borough Road College in London, part of the University of London.
He graduated with a bachelor of education (honours) in physical education in May 1978 and returned to Pitlochry for a short period.
Three years earlier, he had met Alison at a dance in Pitlochry Town Hall. Mrs Grant, from Dundee, had been working in a hotel in the town as a student.
The couple married in August 1978 and soon Mr Grant took a job teaching at Royton and Crompton School in a suburb of Oldham, where he spent five years.
He later moved to Radclyffe School in Oldham and spent eight years there as head of the physical education department.
During the couple’s years in the Manchester area, Mr Grant became involved in coaching with Oldham Celtics basketball team, a national league side.
This led to his forming the Oldham Celtics Juniors side, which achieved success at a national level.
Mr Grant went on to coach at national level, assisting then England coach Laszlo Nemeth work with promising players. Mr Nemeth praised John Grant as a “true friend, dedicated to basketball, fantastic husband”.
He added: “He touched many lives and guided young people to basketball.”
Mrs Grant explained that while her husband’s name became synonymous with basketball over the years, running and athletics were his first love.
He ran for Scotland in 400 metres, 800 metres, steeplechase, long jump, relay and cross country at junior level, despite receiving a leg injury in a motor accident near Pitlochry as a boy. Mr Grant also represented Perthshire at cross-country running, athletics and football between 1970 and 1973.
During his time in England he continued to run at a high level and twice was pitted against Olympian Seb Coe.
In 1991 Mr Grant became principal teacher of physical education at Arbroath High School and, two years later, founded the Arbroath Musketeers basketball side.
Under his stewardship, the Musketeers developed into one of Scotland’s top sides – producing Great Britain internationals including Gareth Murray and Hannah Robb.
Over the years Mr Grant coached at basketball camps worldwide including in Scotland, England, Hungary and across the United States.
His funeral took place on Tuesday April 6.