Zach Grant joined the Western Illinois football staff ahead of the 2020 season and will be responsible for coaching the Leathernecks' running backs.
His coaching career began at his alma mater, the University of Illinois. The former Illini letter winner played three seasons of football, appearing in 25 career games, before making the transition to an offensive graduate assistant.
Grant helped Illinois' offensive coordinator Rod Smith engineer a massive turnaround to the team's 2019 offense. The Illini leaped to 12th in the nation in rushing yards per game (+110 spots in the rankings), second in 40+ yard runs (+93), 51st in yards per play (+73) and 62nd in total offense (+64).
As a student-athlete, his most productive season occurred in 2016. He recorded 26 receptions for 265 yards and one touchdown while playing in all 12 games, starting nine, at wide receiver.
Grant was a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree as a sport management major. He is a native of Springfield, Illinois, and helped Rochester High School to IHSA Class 4A State Championships in 2010 and 2011.
