Wyoming football announced on Jan. 21, 2022, the promotion of Mike Grant to the position of Associate Head Coach. Grant has been on the Wyoming coaching staff since 2016. The 2024 season will be Grant’s ninth season with the Cowboys and his 32nd in college coaching. He will continue to serve as the Offensive Passing Game Coordinator and Wide Receivers Coach for the Pokes under head coach Jay Sawvel.
During his time at Wyoming, Grant has 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.
In 2023, Grant led the wide receiver group led by Wyatt Wieland and Ayir Asante. Wieland led the team with 44 catches for 280 yards with five touchdowns. Asante, averaged 17.7 yards per reception with six scores on the season. he ranked eighth in the conference in touchdowns. Asante signed a free agent deal with the New York Giants.
In 2023, the Pokes would win nine games, as it was Wyoming's first nine-win season since 1996 when UW posted a 10-2 season.
Grant was promoted to Offensive Pass-Game Coordinator in February of 2021. Prior to coming to Wyoming, Grant spent the previous five seasons at the University of North Texas where he coached the wide receivers, the running backs and served as recruiting coordinator during his time there.
UW’s passing game in 2022 was led by Honorable Mention All-Mountain West quarterback Andrew Peasley and tight end Treyton Welch, who earned First Team All-MW honors from Pro Football Focus. UW’s offense ranked No. 1 in the MW and No. 14 in the nation in red-zone offense (90.6 percent) and No. 3 in the MW and No. 44 nationally in rushing offense (181.4 yards per game). The offense also ranked No. 3 in the league and No. 25 nationally in fewest tackles for loss allowed (4.46 per game) and ranked No. 3 in the conference and No. 30 in the nation in fewest sacks allowed (1.46 per game). The Wyoming Cowboys entered the 2022 college football season as the fourth youngest team in the country. But given that, the Cowboys went on to record a 7-6 record, finish second in the Mountain West Conference Mountain Division and earn a spot in the Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl. Along the way the ‘22 Pokes defeated rivals Air Force, Colorado State, Hawai’i, Utah State and American Athletic Conference member Tulsa. Wyoming’s 7-6 record gave them their fifth winning season in the past seven seasons.
In 2021, Grant coached Cowboy wide receiver Isaiah Neyor, who earned Second Team All-Mountain West Conference honors while leading the conference and ranking No. 8 in the nation in touchdown receptions, with 12. Neyor also led the Mountain West and ranked No. 6 in the FBS in average yards per reception (19.95 yards per catch). Wyoming’s rushing attack ranked No. 2 in the Mountain West and No. 20 in the NCAA in 2021, averaging 211.7 yards per game. UW’s passing attack was fourth best in the MW and No. 38 in the nation in average yards per completion (13.06 yards). The Cowboys posted a 7-6 record and won their third consecutive bowl game, with a convincing 52-38 win over Kent State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. The 52 points scored in the bowl victory was a school record for a bowl game. Wyoming scored 40 or more points four times during the season in victories at Northern Illinois (50 points), vs. Ball State (45), at eventual MW champion Utah State (44) and vs. Kent State.
Wyoming’s 2020 offense featured one of the most effective rushing attacks in the country. The Pokes ranked No. 14 in the nation in rushing, averaging 219.5 rushing yards per game. UW’s passing attack also ranked No. 7 nationally in passing yards per completion (14.84 yards per pass completion). The Cowboys ranked No. 24 in fewest turnovers committed (9 total turnovers) and were No. 32 in red-zone offense (converting 23 of 26 red-zone opportunities into points). Wide receiver Neyor earned Honorable Mention All-Mountain West honors from MW head coaches and media, while averaging 31.0 yards per reception. If Neyor would have caught four more passes, he would have met the NCAA minimum of 2.0 catches per game and would have led the nation in yards per catch.
The 2019 season saw the Cowboy offense rank No. 2 in the Mountain West and No. 23 in the nation in rushing offense, averaging 214. 8 yards per game. The Cowboy offense also ranked No. 10 in the NCAA in passing yards per completion (14.75 yards per completion), No. 14 in fewest tackles for loss allowed (4.62 per game), No. 26 in fewest fumbles lost (6), No. 32 in third-down conversions (43.3 percent), No. 32 in fewest sacks allowed (1.62 per game) and No. 33 in fewest turnovers committed (15). The Cowboys concluded the season with an 8-5 record and captured the Arizona Bowl championship.
In 2018, the Wyoming Cowboys would win their last four games of the season to earn bowl eligibility at 6-6. In spite of the UW offense being in transition after former Cowboy quarterback Josh Allen became the No. 7 overall selection in the 2018 NFL Draft, the Wyoming offense hit its stride during that four-game winning streak to end the 2018 season. During that four-game win streak, the Pokes averaged 31.0 points and 415.5 yards per game. UW’s 2018 offense also ranked No. 1 in the MW and No. 4 in the nation in fewest turnovers, committing only 11 total turnovers for the year.
Grant helped coach a Wyoming offense in 2017 that was extremely efficient in the red zone, scoring on 33 of 34 red-zone opportunities to rank No. 2 in the nation. The offense also did an excellent job of protecting the ball, committing only 14 turnovers to rank No. 19 in the country. UW’s offense combined with its defense (38 turnovers forced) to rank No. 1 in the nation in turnover margin, with a +24 turnover margin. Wyoming would record eight wins for the second straight season, and the Pokes posted a convincing 37-14 win in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl over Central Michigan. In that bowl victory, all three of Wyoming’s offensive touchdowns came on touchdown passes to Wyoming wide receivers.
During Grant’s first season with the Wyoming Cowboys in 2016, he coached senior wide receiver Tanner Gentry, who earned Second Team All-Mountain West honors and signed a free-agent contract with the Chicago Bears in the spring of 2017. Gentry was named to the Biletnikoff Award Watch List for the second consecutive year. He caught 14 touchdown passes in 2016 to lead the Mountain West Conference and rank No. 9 in the nation. Gentry’s 1,326 receiving yards in 2016 also led the MW and ranked 12th in the NCAA. He averaged 94.7 receiving yards per game, ranking him No. 3 in the conference and No. 21 in the country. His 18.42 yards per reception was 27th best in the nation. Grant also coached senior wide receiver Jake Maulhardt, who was invited to the New Orleans Saints rookie camp in the spring of 2017.
Grant was part of a coaching staff that led the 2016 Cowboy offense to a very productive season. The Pokes averaged 35.9 points per game to rank No. 2 in the Mountain West and No. 25 in the nation. The passing game, averaged 15.3 yards per completion to rank No. 8 in the NCAA, and in red-zone offense the Pokes converted 90.6 percent of their red-zone opportunities into scores to rank 14th in the country. Wyoming’s offense ranked No. 1 in the MW and No. 22 in the NCAA in first downs (312), was No. 32 in the nation in time of possession (31:34), ranked No. 33 in the country in passing efficiency (143.82 rating) and No. 36 in the nation in rushing offense, averaging 205.4 yards per game.
Grant earned his first full-time coaching position in 1997, coaching the wide receivers and tight ends at James Madison University. 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 now six seasons at Wyoming (2016-Present).
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. Chancellor also earned Second Team All-Conference honors at wide receiver. Wide receiver Darnell Smith was an Honorable Mention All-Conference honoree in 2013. In 2015, wide receiver Carlos Harris finished his career No. 2 in North Texas school history in career receptions, No. 5 in career receiving yards and No. 9 in career all-purpose yards.
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. He also concluded his career as Western Michigan’s career record holder for receiving yards. Nunez had 1,032 yards receiving in 2010 and also earned First Team All-MAC honors. In 2008, Grant coached wide receiver Jamarko Simmons, who led the MAC in receptions (98) and receiving yards (1,100). Simmons ranked No. 3 in the NCAA in receptions in 2008 and earned Second Team All-America 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 current 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.
Grant recruits the Houston metropolitan area for Wyoming.
Mike Grant’s Coaching History
2022- Wyoming Associate Head Coach/Offensive Passing-Game Coordinator/WRs
2021 Wyoming Offensive Passing-Game Coordinator/Wide Receivers
2016-20 Wyoming Wide Receivers
2014-15 North Texas Wide Receivers/Recruiting Coordinator
2013 North Texas Wide Receivers
2011-12 North Texas Running Backs
2008-10 Western Michigan Assistant Head Coach/WRs
2007 Southern Miss Wide Receivers
2001-06 Iowa State Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
2000 Iowa State Running Backs
1999 Iowa State Outside Linebackers
1998 Iowa State Secondary
1997 James Madison Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
1994-96 Nebraska Graduate Assistant
1993 Nebraska Recruiting Assistant