An excerpt on Jacob Gilyard's return to the Spiders for a fifth year and chance at the NCAA steals record, by John O'Connor of the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Read the full story here.

As University of Richmond guard Jacob Gilyard continues his path toward John Linehan’s NCAA career steals record, there is a man in Georgia rooting hard for Gilyard.

John Linehan.

Linehan, a University of Georgia assistant coach, made 385 steals during a career at Providence that ended in 2002. With 358 steals, Gilyard trails by 27, or about eight games worth of steals if his nation-leading 3.57 average last season is applied.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling as a player to reach such a great accomplishment, right? So I’m excited for him and his future, and the Richmond program,” Linehan said in a Thursday phone interview.

Gilyard led the nation in steals last season as a senior and as a junior in 2019-20 (3.19 spg). He is 5-foot-9, the same height as Linehan.

“As a 5-9 guy, you’ve got to be a dog,” Linehan said. “You have to use your advantage, which is your height. Guys didn’t want to bring the ball up against me, and the same thing for [Gilyard], so just be a pest everywhere on the floor. I love to watch him.”

Linehan, who previously worked on staffs at Hartford, Brown, Drexel and Temple, said he has looked to find Spiders games on TV and video, “because I wanted to know who this guy was that was breathing down my neck. They’ve got a great coach [Chris Mooney] and they run great offense. I’m a huge fan of that program.”

Linehan set the record in more than four seasons of college competition. An injury limited him to six games in one season. He was granted a medical redshirt and played a fifth year. Gilyard will return for a fifth season as a starter after the NCAA allowed all winter-sports athletes another year of eligibility because of the pandemic.

“I think a lot of people that I’ve talked to are more excited about the steals record than I am,” said Gilyard, a Kansas City resident. “I just want to win. I think the [steals record] is a percentage in the decision [to return], but it wasn’t a huge percentage.”