Queens men’s basketball coach Grant Leonard has never been shy about his choice of outfits on the sideline.
His look on Tuesday night at BYU was one of his most unique yet — he wore a shirt with the words “Latter-Day Royals” that depicted three of his former players.
Of course, BYU is the institution founded by Brigham Young, who was the second president of The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints.
That meant that Leonard’s outfit got quite the attention — it would have anyway, but people associated with BYU were likely trying to figure out what message Leonard was sending to the Mormons.
He gave a strong explanation afterward that’s worth sharing here.
Why Grant Leonard Wore ‘Latter-Day’ Shirt vs. BYU
Leonard wore his shirt as a shoutout to three former players he had coached who were all members of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints — it should display above, but if it doesn’t, you can see it at this link.
“It’s a shoutout to our connection to the LDS Church,” Leonard told reporters postgame, via The Deseret News. “In my tenure of 14 years at Queens, we’ve had three LDS players. All were on really good teams, and their leadership and maturity was unbelievable for our program. I actively tried to get another LDS player or two last year and struck out in recruiting, but our connection to that church, and the way they represent themselves, is unbelievable, and I want to say thank you to that.”
The three players were Josh Van Weezep, Jaxon Pollard and Gus Larson.
“When kids go on a mission and they come back, they’ve done stuff in life that a lot of our kids don’t understand, so the adversity they hit during those missions is unbelievable,” Leonard said. “When those kids come into our program, they’re always an unbelievable leader and a voice of reason, so I’ve just been appreciative of their maturity, their work ethic, their intellect and the way they communicate.”
Grant Leonard Outfits
Grant Leonard once wore that green sweater above, during the NCAA Tournament, just days after St. Patrick’s Day. He definitely knows how to rock a sideline look.
He also has had great success so far for Queens, which lost 98-82 at ranked BYU on Tuesday night.
Queens, which is based in Charlotte, North Carolina, hasn’t even been a Division I program for a decade. It began its transition to the highest level in 2022 and made its first NCAA Tournament last season.
Queens Coach Grant Leonard Wore ‘Latter-Day’ Shirt vs. BYU — Here’s Why