East Alum Grant Raedle: His path from playing high school basketball to managing college basketball

Walking into the Lucas Oil Stadium, Loyola Chicago Basketball team manager and East alum Grant Raedle’s hands were shaking as his nerves were mixed with a feeling of hope, leaving him queasy — he prayed that his number-eight seed team could defy the odds and defeat a number-one seed team in the NCAA Tournament. 

That hope prevailed as the Loyola Ramblers beat the Fighting Illinois 71-58 heading to their second Sweet 16 tournament as the underdog in three years. Raedle jumped off the bench cheering with Loyola coaches and players all with the same energy flowed through their fingertips as they stormed the locker room chanting “Loyola,” over and over followed by a celebratory team dinner. 

To Grant, team managing is more than just planning and coordination —it’s a step in the door for a basketball-related career and the ability to still be a part of the sport despite not playing it. 

Graduating from East in 2018, Grant played for the freshman, sophomore and junior varsity basketball teams under the guidance of Coach Shawn Hair, before becoming a manager his senior year. 

“My senior year I was supposed to be a benchwarmer for varsity and that idea didn’t necessarily intrigue me,” Grant said. “I still wanted to be a part of the team but I wasn’t sure I wanted to put in 15 hours of practice to get barely any playing time. Instead of trying out for the team, Coach told me about team managing, so I tried it out for my senior year and enjoyed it.”

Raedle applied to 10 different schools his senior year and was hopeful that at least one would have an opportunity for him in basketball managing.

“Playing for East, I was good friends with all the players and I liked the team atmosphere, which was a big factor of wanting to pursue a career in basketball,” Grant said. “I wasn’t good enough to play at the next level, but I wanted to be involved with the sport and team manager was the next step.”

Grant took the initiative to contact eight out of 10 of the schools he applied to when it came to job positions — Loyola, Wisconsin and Butler all responded offering a team managing position on their basketball teams. Loyola being located in Chicago — a city that he was familiar with and filled with family — was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up. He entered his freshman year at Loyola University secured with a team management job.

As team manager, Grant has various responsibilities, from waking up players to arranging the team’s meals. He also scouts and examines footage for the coaches. 

Grant’s first season with Loyola was an exciting one since they made it to the Final Four as the number 11 seed the year prior. In his first season there, they tied for first in their conference and attended the National Invitational Tournament, the second-best postseason tournament outside of March Madness. However, they lost to Creighton in the first round — a shock after their Final Four run the previous year. 

Since Loyola belongs to the Missouri Valley Conference, they’re still viewed as underdogs compared to the Big 10 or Big 12 Conferences. But even with those challenges, the team has shown adversity and taught Grant strength and determination. 

“We walk into the NCAA Tournament and the tension is clearly present between our team and some of the bigger ones,” Raedle said. “The players have a chip on their shoulder from the outside world kind of looking down on them like they’re outsiders, but they’ve maintained their positivity and strength even when beaten down on, they’ve really taught me more than I thought I would learn.”

Despite continuing to be seen as “outsiders,” Loyola proved their doubters wrong, making it through the first and second round of the NCAA tournament this season. 

“Walking in we all had the mentality that we had a solid game plan and we were going to execute it,” Grant said. “I was nervous but I knew that they believed in themselves enough that we could beat Illinois if we just stick to our principles. I think they looked at us like a little brother not thinking much of us so it was a great feeling totally surprising them.”

Raedle’s little sister and 2020 East alum Gretchen Raedle is one of her brother’s biggest supporters. Even through the TV, watching her brother light up during the Illinois game when the last buzzer rang through the stadium was a moment full of smiles and happy dancing for her.

“Honestly, Grant’s not a very emotional person, but when I watched the game on TV, he was absolutely the most animated I’ve ever seen him,” Gretchen said. “He was just lit up and you could tell with his mannerisms just how excited he and the whole team were.”

Despite his contentment as the current team manager, Grant dreams of one day being a coach for a Division I team. He even has a favorite or two he’s already thinking about. 

“I mean becoming a head coach or even just a coach for these teams is nearly impossible which is a huge part of why I took this job,” Grant said. “I wasn’t the best player, so getting my foot into the door was key. I want to eventually be a part of a coaching staff for a D1 team. I’m thinking DePaul maybe, I’d be happy with any Big 12 team though.”

Grant overcame any sort of doubt or setbacks of furthering a basketball-related career to get to where he is today — part of a strength and perseverance-filled team. 

“I just set my eye on the prize and used all the resources I was blessed to have and just worked and took the initiative of what I wanted to do and be,” Raedle said.