If you play football at Ohio State, chances are you know a thing or two about the game. Plenty of former Buckeyes have taken this path. From Eddie George at Tennessee State to Stanley Jackson at Westerville North High School, there is no shortage of former players ready to teach the game to the next generation.
The latest to jump into the coaching ranks is none other than Doran Grant who was a captain on the 2014 national championship team. Grant has been named as the next head coach at Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary. Grant, an alum of the school, starred for the Fighting Irish from 2008-2011.
At Ohio State, Grant saw action all four years before becoming a starter in his junior season. As a cornerback, he totaled 140 tackles, nine interceptions, and one touchdown while wearing Scarlet and Gray. Grant would be drafted in the 2015 NFL draft in the fourth round by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
🚨 NEW HIRE 🚨 St. Vincent-St. Mary HS is pleased to announce the hiring of Doran Grant VM11 as the next Head Varsity Football Coach! Please welcome him back home!#GoIrish ☘️🏈
Visit our website to learn more about Coach Grant! ➡️ https://t.co/wr3PufUFeB pic.twitter.com/avra3OVlE0
— STVM Athletics (@STVMAthletics) December 14, 2023
Grant told the Akron Beacon Journal how excited he was to lead his alma mater.
“It’s a place I’ve always loved and adored even before I got there,” Grant said. “I had multiple family members go there, so when it was my time, I just fully embraced it. I was so happy to be there and it’s exactly how I feel right now. It’s like going there for the first time. I’m just so appreciative to be there. I honestly can’t wait because I’m going to give St. Vincent-St. Mary every ounce of energy I have.”
Grant takes over a team that went 5-5 in the regular season while taking a first-round loss in the first game of the Ohio High School regional tournament to end the season at 5-6. Grant will look to turn things around on the football field and give back to the community and program that helped make him the man he is today.
