April 26, 2010
DeKALB, Ill. - Northern Illinois head wrestling coach Dave Grant will retire from coaching following the 2011 season, the 14-year NIU veteran announced Monday.
At the end of the 2011 season, Grant will have spent 26 years as a collegiate wrestling coach, including 25 on the Division I level. He is one of only two wrestling coaches in NIU history with over 100 dual meet victories (122) and is the only Huskie mentor to coach three student-athletes [Jeremy Goeden (1997 & 1998), Scott Owen (2002 & 2003) and Ben Heizer (2003 & 2004)] that have earned multiple All-America honors. The 2002 Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year, he has coached 11 NIU wrestlers to 19 MAC championships, including three-time MAC champions Owen and Heizer. In 2003, Heizer became the Huskies' first NCAA finalist since 1973.
Grant, who has coached 20 Northern Illinois wrestlers in 38 NCAA Championships appearances and led the Huskies to a top three placing in the Mid-American Conference seven times in the last 10 years, is grateful for both the sport of wrestling and for his time at NIU.
"Wrestling has changed my life and created so many opportunities for me," Grant said. "Northern Illinois has been a great place, and I love this program and the student-athletes. We took a program that in 1996 was in desperate need of rebuilding and have transformed it into a nationally-competitive team."
Grant said he looks forward to his 15th season at Northern Illinois as the Huskies will play host to the Mid-American Conference Wrestling Championships at the NIU Convocation Center in DeKalb.
"We have a strong group of seniors and letterwinners returning next season," Grant said. "We plan to have a great year and make a run for the title. With the completion of the world-class wrestling room [in 2009], a top-notch staff and the student-athletes we have in our program, everything is in place to take Northern Illinois wrestling to the next level."
Northern Illinois Associate Vice-President and Director of Athletics Jeff Compher said NIU is committed to the continued success of Huskie Wrestling.
"We wish Dave all the best in his future endeavors," Compher said. "He has enriched our program and built a legacy of success at Northern Illinois. We plan on continuing that legacy going forward with our wrestling program. I appreciate the determination and loyalty Dave has shown while elevating NIU Wrestling."
In addition to the success on the mat, Northern Illinois wrestling has excelled in the classroom under Grant. NIU has had the highest academic progress rate [APR] of any wrestling team in the MAC over the last two years and has been ranked among the nation's elite academic wrestling programs in the National Wrestling Coaches Association's annual Division I All-Academic Top 30 listing. Northern Illinois has ranked 11th, 10th, 16th and 16th in those rankings over the last four years.
"There are many people who have contributed to help make this a great 25 years," Grant said. "I've had the chance to work with excellent coaches, including my mentor, J. Robinson [of Minnesota]. In turn, I have been able to mentor Ryan Ludwig [NIU associate head coach] for five years. Ryan is dedicated to NIU and has had a big impact on this program. I am thankful to Jeff Compher and [Deputy Athletic Director] Glen Krupica for their tremendous support of me and the program. The student-athletes, of course, are the biggest reason for everything we've accomplished. I thank my family for their loyal support. I appreciate and thank my wife, Kris, who has been side-by-side with me for 14 years. She has been an instrumental part of this program.
"I'm proud of the strides we made here at Northern Illinois and of the accomplishments we've had over the years," he continued. "I'm excited about the future of NIU wrestling."
Grant, a native of Lexington, Ky., spent 10 seasons as the top assistant at Minnesota prior to becoming the head coach at Northern Illinois in 1996. He was an All-American wrestler at 158 pounds for the University of Northern Iowa in 1984.
-- NIU --
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