Fitting in for Katie Gruys at Clemson was a shoo-in.

After all, she was in their shoes just months before. The Ducks won four games when she was a freshman; Clemson won four games last year.

“She was like, ‘Hey listen ladies. I’ve been where you’ve been,’” Clemson coach Audra Smith said. “When it comes from someone who just recently graduated and has been in it, less than six months ago, it carries so much weight.”

That instant credibility allowed Gruys — a former walk-on at Oregon who earned a scholarship during her senior year — to hit the ground running in her new role.

Gruys explained how Oregon quickly pivoted from four wins to 24 during her four seasons with the program. Gruys, a fan-favorite at Oregon, moved to South Carolina following graduation in June to take one of two graduate assistant openings at Clemson.

“Clemson is awesome,” Gruys said. “It’s definitely a change from Oregon, but it’s a good change. I’m learning a lot on the coaching side, from director of basketball operations to assistant coaching.”

Gruys is currently enrolled in the school’s athletic leadership program, which exposes her to strength and conditioning, coaching, athletic administration and training.

Gruys is often an eager volunteer to snag rebounds or track down video for Smith’s iPad when she’s on the road recruiting. Smith said Gruys has done it all, from laundry to scouting reports. 

Her resumé, head coach Kelly Graves’ glowing recommendation and her positive approach, helped her land the job. 

“He [Graves] raved about her and her work ethic,” Smith said. “She’s one of those kids who is an unbelievable worker. We hit it off right away.”

As a player at Oregon, Gruys realized she had an interest when the Ducks hired Graves and his staff.

“I’ve always loved coaching without knowing it,” Gruys said. “It wasn’t until until KG and his staff [took over]. They showed me that you can have a genuine impact with you athletes on and off the court.”

Oregon visits Clemson (8-0) on Monday. Gruys is excited to see her former teammates and coaches. She’s watched every Oregon game this season and is responsible for preparing the opposing scouting report.

“I’m excited to see them and talk to them about how their season is going and catch up,” Gruys said. “They’ll always be family.”

Graves said Gruys will be well versed on Oregon’s returners, but not the Ducks’ seven-member freshman class. He joked that Gruys has reminded him in recent weeks that Clemson is off to its best start since the 1998-99 season.

Oregon’s third-year coach is happy his former player has decided to find her way into coaching.

“I consider her like a daughter,” Graves said. “She’s one of my all-time favorite players. I’m really glad that she’s in the profession.”

Smith has been impressed with Gruys’ ability to connect with players well. She said Gruys understands the line between being professional but relatable.

“It feels like she’s been a part of the program for as long as I’ve been here,” said Smith, who’s in her fourth year at Clemson. “She’s a tremendous asset to our program.”

 Follow Jonathan Hawthorne on Twitter @Jon_Hawthorne