Mike Grant is in his first season as part of the Redbird Football coaching staff in 2025 and will oversee the team's running backs.

Grant comes to Illinois State via Wyoming, where he spent time on the coaching staff since 2016 and most recently served as Associate Head Coach. In all, Grant has been coaching at the collegiate level for over 30 years and brings a wealth of experience to the program.

The 2024 season was Grant’s ninth season with the Cowboys and his 32nd in college coaching. During his time at Wyoming, Grant coached former Cowboy standout receivers Ayir Asante, Tanner Gentry, Isaiah Neyor, Austin Conway, Jake Maulhardt and Raghib Ismail Jr. Among the 18 bowl bids he has been part of as a coach are six bowl appearances in his eight previous seasons at Wyoming.  Grant has been part of 23 total bowl appearances as a player and coach, including five as a player at his alma mater, the University of Nebraska, where he played quarterback for the Huskers.
        
Grant earned his first full-time coaching position in 1997, coaching the wide receivers and tight ends at James Madison.  Grant has coached at the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level for the past 24 seasons, including nine seasons at Iowa State (1998-06), one season at Southern Miss (2007), three at Western Michigan (2008-10), five seasons at North Texas (2011-15) and nine seasons at Wyoming (2016-24).    
        
While at North Texas, Grant started out as the running backs coach for two seasons in 2011 and ‘12.  As the running backs coach, Grant coached Lance Dunbar, who became the career rushing leader in North Texas history and earned All-Sun Belt Conference honors.  Grant took over as the wide receivers coach from 2013-15 and added recruiting coordinator responsibilities in 2014 and ‘15.  Among the top receivers he coached at North Texas were Brelan Chancellor, who in 2013 became the first player in Conference USA history to earn First Team All-Conference honors as both a punt returner and kickoff returner. 
        
While coaching the wide receivers at Western Michigan from 2008-10, Grant coached four All-Mid-American Conference receivers.  In 2010, he had two receivers, Jordan White and Juan Nunez, record 1,000-yard receiving seasons and each caught over 90 passes.  White set a school single season record with 1,378 receiving yards in 2010 on way to earning Honorable Mention All-America honors from CNN/SI and First Team All-MAC honors. 
        
Grant’s time at Iowa State included him coaching two receivers who would break the Iowa State career receiving record.  In 2002, Lane Danielson became the Cyclones’ all-time leading receiver and earned All-Big 12 recognition.  Then three years later in 2005, Todd Blythe broke Danielson’s record on way to earning First Team All-Big 12 honors.  Grant also coached First Team All-Big 12 running back Ennis Haywood in 2000.
        
In his four seasons (1993-96) as a recruiting assistant and graduate assistant at his alma mater, the University of Nebraska, he was part of Husker teams that won National Championships in 1994 and ‘95.  Nebraska posted back-to-back undefeated seasons in 1994 (13-0) and ‘95 (12-0), and posted an 11-2 record in 1996, finishing that season ranked No. 6 in the national polls.  Grant helped coach the tight ends and offensive tackles at NU.  He was on the same staff at Nebraska in 1995 and ‘96 as future Wyoming head coach Craig Bohl.
        
Grant has continued to develop his coaching skills throughout his career.  He participated in the 2009 NCAA Football Coach’s Academy, the 2013 NCAA/NFL Coach’s Academy and the Bill Walsh NFL Minority Internship Program, serving an internship in 2013 with the Buffalo Bills.
        
A quarterback at Nebraska from 1988-92, he was a three-year letterwinner and was named to the Phillips 66 Academic All-Big Eight Honor Roll.  He earned his bachelor’s degree in communication studies from Nebraska in 1993, added a second bachelor’s degree in journalism with a concentration in advertising in 1995 and has completed his course work for his master’s degree in mass communication.
        
He and his wife, Nina, have one daughter, Mireia.