Mike Grant - Wide Receiver Coach - Staff Directory

Staff Directory

Mike Grant

Title:
Wide Receiver Coach
Email:
Phone:
(515) 294-4732

Mike Grant has coached wide receivers at Iowa State the past three seasons, and his crew of pass catchers has broken a slew of ISU school records. Grant’s group of Cyclones are adding new pages to the Iowa State record book.

Figuring most prominently is junior Todd Blythe, a preseason All-America choice. The Indianola, Iowa native has caught a school-record 18 career touchdown passes in just 24 games. A first-team all-Big 12 Conference selection last season by the league’s coaches, Blythe’s 90 career catches already ranks 10th in school history. His 1,833 career receiving yards in two years rank fourth in the ISU record books. Blythe caught 51 passes for 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns last season. Blythe is the third Cyclone to ever reach 1,000 receiving yards in a single season. His 19.6 yards per catch was the second-longest average nationally among receivers who caught at least four passes a game. Senior wide receiver Jon Davis is tied with Blythe at 10th in school history with 90 career receptions.

Blythe and Davis aside, the best story is Deer Park, Texas, native Austin Flynn, who was Iowa State’s starting quarterback in 2003. Flynn switched to wide receiver during 2005 spring practice. With Grant’s guidance, Flynn’s transition to his new position has been spectacular. The senior led Iowa State with 56 catches, for 624 yards and three touchdowns last season.

ISU began the 2004 season with a bevy of question marks surrounding its young group of receivers. Gone were four 2003 seniors who were responsible for more than 6,000 receiving yards during their careers. Returning that fall was a group of young players that had combined for four career receptions. Blythe and Davis had strong 2004 seasons as Grant retooled his receiving corps with new blood. Blythe was a second-team freshman All-America (The Sporting News) selection. Davis led the Cyclones with 48 catches for 614 yards and a pair of TDs. Senior Todd Miller had 31 catches for 341 yards, and freshman Milan Moses had 14 receptions for 155 yards.

Under Grant, wide receivers Lane Danielsen, Jack Whitver, Lance Young and Jamaul Montgomery finished their careers in 2003 as the most prolific receiving corps in Iowa State history. That quartet tallied career totals of 433 receptions for 6,373 yards and 37 touchdowns.

With Grant as receivers coach, Danielsen became the all-time Cyclone career leader with 163 receptions for 2,690 yards. Whitver, like Danielsen a former walk-on, ranks eighth on the ISU career receptions chart (96) and 12th in receiving yards (1,320). Young ranks 12th all-time in receiving yards (1,273).

Grant coached the Cyclone backfield in 2001. That fall, first-team all-Big 12 tailback Ennis Haywood became the seventh Iowa Stater to post at least two 1,000-yard rushing seasons, finishing the 2001 campaign with 1,169 yards on the ground. Iowa State’s tailbacks went the entire season without losing a fumble.

In 2000, as outside linebackers coach, Grant made significant contributions to ISU’s Insight.com Bowl drive by working with two Cyclones who made unique transitions to defense for the first Iowa State bowl season in 22 years.

Under Grant’s guidance, ISU linebacker Derrick Walker made a successful transition from quarterback to defense. Walker, who was Iowa State’s backup signal-caller in 1999, was fifth on the team in tackles with 61 in 2000 and earned an invitation to the preseason camp of the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles. Cyclone linebacker Stevie Johnson, formerly one of the most popular basketball players in school history who hadn’t played football since high school, prospered on the gridiron under Grant and came on strong late in Iowa State’s Insight.com Bowl season.

Grant joined the Iowa State staff as assistant secondary coach before 1998 spring practice. The year before Grant’s arrival, Iowa State ranked 107th nationally in pass defense. That ranking improved to 29th in 1999, his second season coaching the Cyclone secondary. ISU’s pass efficiency defensive rating improved from 153.3 in the season before Grant came to Ames to 111.5 in 1999. Cyclone pass defenders increased their interception total and decreased their TD passes allowed and passing yards allowed totals in each of Grant’s first two Cyclone seasons.

Grant, who lettered at quarterback on three Nebraska bowl teams, came to ISU from James Madison, where he coached the Dukes’ tight ends and wide receivers.

The 36-year-old Grant was an academic all-Big Eight quarterback on Nebraska teams that earned three Orange Bowl berths, in addition to Fiesta and Citrus Bowl appearances, during his playing career. The native of Tampa, Fla., earned a pair of bachelor’s degrees from Nebraska and has completed all but the thesis for his master’s degree in mass communication from Nebraska.

Grant was a graduate assistant coach working with the Husker tight ends and wide receivers from 1994-96. This experience included being a part of two Nebraska national championship teams. Grant assisted the Nebraska recruiting coordinator in 1993.

Grant and his wife Nina have a daughter (Mireia). Nina is the director of multicultural programs in ISU’s College of Agriculture.