Greg Brabenec - Football Coach - Iowa State Athletics

Greg Brabenec

Title:
Assistant AD for Football/Chief of Staff
Email:
gbraben@iastate.edu
Phone:
515-294-6721

Greg Brabenec spent 10 seasons (2016-25) at Iowa State, spending his first five years as director of football operations. He was promoted to Assistant AD for Football/Chief of Staff prior to the 2021 season.

He was director of football operations on Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell’s staff at Toledo from 2014-15.

Brabenec served as the direct line of communication to the athletics administration and is in charge of all staff processes, including schedule, budget, team travel and daily schedules. He was also the main contact for all activities inside the Bergstrom Football Complex.

Brabenec witnessed incredible improvement during his time in Ames. The Cyclones qualified for bowl games in eight of the 10 seasons, regularly appeared in the national rankings and totaled eight of ISU’s 10 above-.500 conference seasons in the history of the Big 12 Conference (1996-present) since 2017.

In 2025, his final season at ISU, the Cyclones went 8-4 overall and 5-4 in Big 12 Conference action. Brabenec played a vital role in the planning of Iowa State's trip to the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin, Ireland where the Cyclones defeated No. 17 Kansas State in college football's first game of the season. The Cyclones defeated Iowa for the third time in four seasons as it started the campaign 5-0 for the second time in as many seasons.

The 2024 Cyclones recorded the greatest season in school history, finishing 11-3 overall and reaching double-digit victories for the first time in the program's 133-year history. The team reached the Big 12 Championship game for just the second time and went on to defeat No. 15 Miami to win the Pop-Tarts Bowl. Iowa State finished the season ranked No. 15, the second-best season-ending ranking in school history.

The 2020 season was historic in many ways. Iowa State finished the regular season in first place in the Big 12 standings, made the Big 12 Championship game and qualified for a New Year’s Six bowl for the first time in school history.

The Cyclones capped off the season with a 34-17 win over Oregon in the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl.

The Cyclones earned their highest ranking in school history during the season (#6) and postseason (#9).

Before serving as head operations coordinator at Toledo, he spent two seasons as a graduate assistant coach for the Rockets, working primarily with the defense.

Brabenec served an undergraduate student assistant with the Bowling Green football program from 2007-10, earning his bachelor’s degree in sport management in 2011. In 2011, he coached outside linebackers at Lindsey Wilson College (KY).

Brabenec attended Olmsted Falls High School (OH) where he played football and baseball.

Brabenec and his wife, Bailey, reside in Ankeny. They have a daughter, Palmer.

Coaching Experience
2021-25 Iowa State - Assistant AD for Football/Chief of Staff
2016-20 Iowa State – Director of Football Operations
2014-15 Toledo - Director of Football Operations
2012-13 Toledo – Graduate Assistant
2011 Lindsey Wilson (KY) – Outside Linebackers
2007-10 Bowling Green – Student Assistant