Grant Billmeier Selected to 2020 TopConnect Seminar
6/10/2020 3:53:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Seton Hall men's basketball assistant coach Grant Billmeier has been selected to participate in the prestigious 2020 TopConnect Virtual Seminar taking place on June 11 and 12. TopConnect (formerly Villa 7), originated in 2003 by then VCU Athletic Director Dr. Richard Sander, identifies the top basketball assistant coaches in the country and connects them with mid-major Athletic Directors providing tremendous networking opportunities for both parties.
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TopConnect also develops programming that allows these top assistant coaches to hear from a wide variety of successful leaders. Prominent head coaches, panels of mid-major Athletic Directors, major media and sport influencers, the inner circle of college basketball and extremely successful business leaders share their leadership experiences. The three-word mantra of "Connect. Prepare. Lead." identifies the purpose of TopConnect.
Billmeier, who graduated from Seton Hall in 2007, has had two separate stints on head coach Kevin Willard's staff, becoming an assistant coach in 2015. He has been instrumental in developing Seton Hall's forwards and centers into leaders in the BIG EAST. The Pirates finished in the top two of the conference in rebounding for three consecutive seasons from 2016-18. Furthermore, he helped develop Angel Delgado into one of the top basketball players in the country. In 2017, Delgado led the nation in rebounding at 13.1 per game, was named All-America honorable mention, the Metropolitan Player of the Year and unanimous All-BIG EAST. Then in 2018, Delgado broke the BIG EAST career rebounds record, averaged a double-double, posted the NCAA Tournament's first 20-20 game since 2012 (24 points, 23 rebounds vs. Kansas) and was honored as the 2018 recipient of the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar National Center of the Year Award. Billmeier also worked to help Ismael Sanogo develop in a starter and one of the best defenders in the BIG EAST.
This past season, Billmeier helped develop Romaro Gill into one of the surprise performers of the college basketball season. Gill finished the year third in the nation in blocks, won the BIG EAST's blocks and field goal percentage championships and was named the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year and Most Improved Player.
Billmeier's work has also helped Seton Hall achieve great heights atop the BIG EAST Conference. In 2016, he helped the Pirates win the BIG EAST Championship for the first time since 1993 and earn an NCAA Tournament berth for the first time since 2006. In 2017, he helped guide The Hall to a second straight NCAA Tournament appearance, a feat the program had not accomplished since four straight from 1991-94. In 2018, he helped the Pirates to the program's first NCAA Tournament win since 2004 as well as reaching as high as No. 13 in the nation in the Associated Press top 25 poll. In 2019, he helped The Hall tie a program record with its fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament bid. Then in 2020, he helped Seton Hall win the BIG EAST regular season championship, achieve a final national ranking of No. 15, reaching as high as No. 8, and position the Pirates to be a top-three seed in the NCAA Tournament prior to the COVID-19 cancelation of the event.
When including his two NCAA Tournament appearances as a student-athlete in 2004 and 2006, Billmeier has now represented Seton Hall in six NCAA Tournament bids, tying former head coach P.J. Carlesimo and assistant coaches Bruce Hamburger and Tom Sullivan for most NCAA Tournament appearances while either playing and/or coaching at Seton Hall.
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This year's TopConnect presenters include national coach of the year Dayton's Anthony Grant, national mid-major coach of the year ETSU's (now Wake Forest) Steve Forbes, Hall of Fame Coach Muffet McGraw, Hall of Fame Coach and current University of Tennessee Director of Athletics, Phillip Fulmer and three-time NFL Coach of the Year, Mike Smith. Additionally, three panels of AD's will discuss what they look for in hiring a coach, expectations of the head coach and building a successful basketball program. A panel of Div. I University Presidents organized by ETSU's President Dr. Brian Noland will discuss basketball's role from the CEO perspective.Â
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Other areas covered will be the search process moderated by Dan Walters (Buffkin/Baker) and Jeff Schemmel (Collegiate Sports Solutions), the media perspective including ESPN's Seth Greenberg and Debbie Antonelli, as well as Stadium Basketball Insider's, Jeff Goodman. Also presenting is ETSU's Chair of the Department of Media and Communications, Dr. Stephen Marshall, who will share his expertise in using social media to build a personal brand.
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Since the inception of Villa 7 (now TopConnect), the program has spawned numerous Division 1 head coaches including Anthony Grant (Dayton), Buzz Williams (Texas A & M), Shaka Smart (Texas), Steve Forbes (Wake Forest), Rodney Terry (UTEP), John Groce (Akron), Kevin Keatts (NC State) and recently Greg Gary (Mercer), Brett Nelson (Holy Cross) and Bryan Mullins (Southern Illinois). Â
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TopConnect works in conjunction with East Tennessee State University's Doctoral program in Global Sport Leadership. Van Wagner, Fast Model Sports, ARMS Software and Daktronics continue to support TopConnect.
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TopConnect also develops programming that allows these top assistant coaches to hear from a wide variety of successful leaders. Prominent head coaches, panels of mid-major Athletic Directors, major media and sport influencers, the inner circle of college basketball and extremely successful business leaders share their leadership experiences. The three-word mantra of "Connect. Prepare. Lead." identifies the purpose of TopConnect.
Billmeier, who graduated from Seton Hall in 2007, has had two separate stints on head coach Kevin Willard's staff, becoming an assistant coach in 2015. He has been instrumental in developing Seton Hall's forwards and centers into leaders in the BIG EAST. The Pirates finished in the top two of the conference in rebounding for three consecutive seasons from 2016-18. Furthermore, he helped develop Angel Delgado into one of the top basketball players in the country. In 2017, Delgado led the nation in rebounding at 13.1 per game, was named All-America honorable mention, the Metropolitan Player of the Year and unanimous All-BIG EAST. Then in 2018, Delgado broke the BIG EAST career rebounds record, averaged a double-double, posted the NCAA Tournament's first 20-20 game since 2012 (24 points, 23 rebounds vs. Kansas) and was honored as the 2018 recipient of the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar National Center of the Year Award. Billmeier also worked to help Ismael Sanogo develop in a starter and one of the best defenders in the BIG EAST.
This past season, Billmeier helped develop Romaro Gill into one of the surprise performers of the college basketball season. Gill finished the year third in the nation in blocks, won the BIG EAST's blocks and field goal percentage championships and was named the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year and Most Improved Player.
Billmeier's work has also helped Seton Hall achieve great heights atop the BIG EAST Conference. In 2016, he helped the Pirates win the BIG EAST Championship for the first time since 1993 and earn an NCAA Tournament berth for the first time since 2006. In 2017, he helped guide The Hall to a second straight NCAA Tournament appearance, a feat the program had not accomplished since four straight from 1991-94. In 2018, he helped the Pirates to the program's first NCAA Tournament win since 2004 as well as reaching as high as No. 13 in the nation in the Associated Press top 25 poll. In 2019, he helped The Hall tie a program record with its fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament bid. Then in 2020, he helped Seton Hall win the BIG EAST regular season championship, achieve a final national ranking of No. 15, reaching as high as No. 8, and position the Pirates to be a top-three seed in the NCAA Tournament prior to the COVID-19 cancelation of the event.
When including his two NCAA Tournament appearances as a student-athlete in 2004 and 2006, Billmeier has now represented Seton Hall in six NCAA Tournament bids, tying former head coach P.J. Carlesimo and assistant coaches Bruce Hamburger and Tom Sullivan for most NCAA Tournament appearances while either playing and/or coaching at Seton Hall.
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This year's TopConnect presenters include national coach of the year Dayton's Anthony Grant, national mid-major coach of the year ETSU's (now Wake Forest) Steve Forbes, Hall of Fame Coach Muffet McGraw, Hall of Fame Coach and current University of Tennessee Director of Athletics, Phillip Fulmer and three-time NFL Coach of the Year, Mike Smith. Additionally, three panels of AD's will discuss what they look for in hiring a coach, expectations of the head coach and building a successful basketball program. A panel of Div. I University Presidents organized by ETSU's President Dr. Brian Noland will discuss basketball's role from the CEO perspective.Â
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Other areas covered will be the search process moderated by Dan Walters (Buffkin/Baker) and Jeff Schemmel (Collegiate Sports Solutions), the media perspective including ESPN's Seth Greenberg and Debbie Antonelli, as well as Stadium Basketball Insider's, Jeff Goodman. Also presenting is ETSU's Chair of the Department of Media and Communications, Dr. Stephen Marshall, who will share his expertise in using social media to build a personal brand.
Â
Since the inception of Villa 7 (now TopConnect), the program has spawned numerous Division 1 head coaches including Anthony Grant (Dayton), Buzz Williams (Texas A & M), Shaka Smart (Texas), Steve Forbes (Wake Forest), Rodney Terry (UTEP), John Groce (Akron), Kevin Keatts (NC State) and recently Greg Gary (Mercer), Brett Nelson (Holy Cross) and Bryan Mullins (Southern Illinois). Â
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TopConnect works in conjunction with East Tennessee State University's Doctoral program in Global Sport Leadership. Van Wagner, Fast Model Sports, ARMS Software and Daktronics continue to support TopConnect.
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