Mike Grant

Mike Grant is in his first season as senior football analyst for the University of Iowa football program. Grant has more than three decades of collegiate coaching experience.

Grant comes to Iowa City after serving as running backs coach for FCS national runners-up Illinois State in 2025. Prior to that, he spent nine seasons on Wyoming’s coaching staff, including serving as associate head coach from 2022-24.

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 was the Huskers’ quarterback.  

Grant earned his first full-time coaching position in 1997, coaching wide receivers and tight ends at James Madison. He also coached nine seasons at Iowa State (1998-06), one year at Southern Miss (2007), three at Western Michigan (2008-10), five seasons at North Texas (2011-15) and nine seasons at Wyoming (2016-24).    

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.

While at North Texas, Grant started out as the running backs coach for two seasons (2011-12).  As 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 2015. 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 wide receivers at Western Michigan, 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 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, Todd Blythe broke Danielson’s record on way to earning first-team All-Big 12 laurels. 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, Nebraska, he was part of Husker teams that won national championships in 1994 and 1995. Grant helped coach tight ends and offensive tackles at Nebraska.

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 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.