Queens University Basketball Heads Into The Future Under The Leadership Of Grant Leonard
Queens University of Charlotte head men’s basketball coach Grant Leonard has signed a five-year contract extension, Director of Athletics Cherie Swarthout announced on Monday afternoon. The extension keeps Leonard at the helm of the Royals program through the 2029-30 season, as he just wrapped up his third year putting together the program’s first 20-win season in Division 1.
“Grant Leonard has done an exceptional job leading our program the past three years and through our Division 1 reclassification,” said Director of Athletics Cherie Swarthout. “The progress and growth of the team and the strengthening of the Queens brand are noteworthy accomplishments. It’s exciting to see the positive momentum heading into the future under his continued leadership.”
Queens is coming off their best finish in Division 1, totaling a 20-15 overall record and an 11-7 mark in ASUN play. The Royals made their third straight trip to the Atlantic Sun Tournament, downing FGCU in the opening round for the third straight year. Queens made their first appearance in the ASUN Tournament Semifinals but fell in a thrilling overtime game at Lipscomb, the co-regular season and conference tournament champions. The Royals made their first postseason tournament appearance at the 2025 Purple College Basketball Invitational, where the Royals defeated Northern Arizona in the opening round.
“Queens has made a significant effort to make me a part of the future of this program,” said head coach Grant Leonard. “Being a part of the present but also the past with the last 12 seasons, Queens, Myers Park, and Charlotte are now home to me. Queens is truly a special place, and we are all confident that we can move forward in the Atlantic Sun and the Division 1 landscape. Thank you to all of the Queens administration for this vote of confidence as it truly takes a village for our program to have success. A special nod to Cherie Swarthout and her leadership team for their guidance during this transition.”
In just their third year in Division 1, Leonard has established and recruited a culture of success. The 2024-25 Skip Prosser Man of the Year Finalist saw multiple Royals etch their names in the record books while achieving career-best performances this season. Georgetown transfer Malcolm Wilson led the nation in blocked shots all season and was named the ASUN Defensive Player of the Year for his performances. The seven-footer swatted the second-most shots in a single season in program history and became the first player in Division 1 program history to block 100 shots in a single season. On the perimeter, sharpshooter Chris Ashby earned Third Team All-ASUN nods after draining a single-season school record 115 threes. The Houston native ranked top five in the nation in threes made for the majority of the season, and led the ASUN.
The sparkplug of the Royals this season came from newcomer and Fresno State transfer Leo Colimerio. The graduate student earned Second Team All-ASUN praise after ranking top 20 in the league in scoring, rebounding, and assists against ASUN opponents. In his lone season in the Queen City, Colimerio put together a career-best season, averaging a team-high 13.8 points while also grabbing 5.2 rebounds and dishing out 3.0 assists per game. In his first two ASUN games, Colimerio averaged 31.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game and was named the Lute Olson National Player of the Week, Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week, and ASUN Player of the Week.
In addition to the all-league standouts, the Royals’ depth was a key to success this season as they wore down opponents. The Queens bench ranked among the top 15 in the nation in scoring and led the ASUN, as four key bench players averaged at least 5.0 points per game. Freshman Yoav Berman made a significant impact in his first season, averaging 8.1 points per game, the fifth most in the ASUN amongst true freshmen.
Prior to taking the lead role for the Royals program in the spring of 2022, Leonard spent nine seasons on staff with the Royals. The William Penn University graduate served as an assistant coach for three seasons before being elevated to the associate head coaching role for six seasons. While on staff under former head coach Bart Lundy, the Royals won three regular season titles and a pair of conference tournament titles. Leonard helped Queens reach the NCAA Tournament five times, including two Sweet 16 appearances, an Elite Eight appearance, and a spot in the National Championship semifinals.
Following the departure of Lundy in 2022 after the Royals final Division 2 season, Leonard stepped into the head coaching role prepared for the challenging journey of developing a Division 1 program. In his first season, the Royals turned in an 18-15 overall record and 7-11 mark in ASUN play. Queens finished four spots ahead of their projected finish in the Preseason Coaches Poll and took down Florida Gulf Coast in the opening round of the ASUN Tournament. Earlier in that season, the Royals captured the Rose Hall Division at the Jersey Mike’s Jamaica Classic, defeating Green Bay and Morgan State. Kenny Dye earned the “Iron Man” title by playing the most games in school history while also becoming the program’s all-time leading scorer.
Queens carried that momentum into year two of Division 1 and put together a 14-19 record and 7-9 mark in league play. The Royals made their second trip to the ASUN Tournament, where they took down the Eagles in the opening round for the second consecutive year. Leonard developed the ASUN Newcomer of the Year in Deyton Albury while leading former Queens standout AJ McKee to Second Team All-ASUN recognition. The Royals increased their national presence with road contests at nationally ranked Clemson and Duke that season. Early in the season, Queens broke the single-game program record with 22 threes made while also putting up a school record 134 points against Carolina Christian.
“To every player that has proudly worn the Royals colors, thank you for every drop of sweat you’ve given to the program, school, and community. Our growth as a program would have never happened without your efforts. It truly is a great day to be a Royal!”
Leonard has developed 39 All-League performers during his time in the Queen City and helped send 33 players to the professional ranks. On the recruiting trail, Leonard has shined and is set to bring in an impressive recruiting class. The Royals have already inked Jordan Watford, a three-star combo guard and the No. 1 player in the state of South Carolina, according to On3. The Lancaster, South Carolina native just helped the Bruins claim their first 4A state title in school history. In addition to Watford, the Royals have signed St. Anne’s-Belfield guard Danzelle Bullock-Coles, a lengthy and built six-five guard out of Charlottesville, Virginia, who scored over 2,000 career points in his high school career.
Be sure to follow Queens Men’s Basketball on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok for news and updates throughout the season. Fans are also encouraged to follow Queens Athletics on social media to stay up to date on all the Royals sports in action.