"Dave Grant has been here 12 years, and this extension signifies the longevity of our commitment to him, and acknowledges the growth and development of our wrestling program" said Collins, who was the man that hired Grant in 1996.
"Dave has shown we made the right decision then, because over the years, he's proven to be a nationally-recognized head coach," Collins continued. "I'm happy to extend his contract well into the future."
The extension, which has been in the works for several months, ensures Grant will keep his place as Northern Illinois' second-longest-tenured head coach.
"It's an exciting time for Northern Illinois Wrestling," Grant said. "This contract reaffirms the athletic department's commitment to the direction of our program, and I'm grateful for the continued opportunity to develop student-athletes here at NIU."
Since his arrival 1996, Grant has compiled a 108-82-6 record at the helm of a wrestling program that has seen student-athletes make 35 trips to the NCAA Championships, and hoist 18 individual Mid-American Conference Championships. Grant has coached a trio of two-time All-Americans: Jeremy Goeden, Scott Owen and Ben Heizer, who was the 2004 NCAA Runner-Up at 184 pounds.
The cumulative effect of all these individual achievements under Grant has been unprecedented team success. Under Grant, the Huskies have recorded wins over Northwestern, Ohio State, Missouri, Purdue, Wisconsin and Central Michigan. Over the last six years, the team has posted an 82-35-3 (.699) record in dual meets and a 23-7-1 (.758) record in MAC duals, and the Huskies have recorded 10 or more dual meet victories in six of the last seven seasons.
Grant's athletes have also seen success in the classroom. Goeden and Owen were both CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, and Grant has coached four wrestlers who achieved National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Academic Team status. The 2007-08 squad includes 12 NIU Victory/Huskie Scholars and its starting line-up had a 3.1 grade point average.
"Recently, we've been in the top-20 wrestling programs in the country, academically," Grant said. "Our team GPA continues to rise thanks to the hard work of our student-athletes and support staff, and we look forward to further strengthening this cornerstone of our program."
Grant, a former All-American who just wrapped-up his 12th season coaching NIU, has also been instrumental in the relocation and upgrade of NIU's new wrestling room. Set in the footprint of the former Northern Illinois athletics weight room, the room is a 5,000-square-foot area designed to the specifications of Grant and his staff.
"The new wrestling facility and weight room secure Northern Illinois as one of the top wrestling destinations in the region, and further exemplify our administration's commitment to this program," Grant said.
Grant is confident in the direction of his program, with premier facilities to go along with outstanding young talent. Redshirt freshman Pat McLemore won the MAC Championship at 141 pounds, and is one of three NIU freshmen that placed at the conference tournament.
"We had an outstanding freshman class, which will develop into an outstanding sophomore class, and continue the rich tradition of NIU Wrestling," Grant said. "The future here is bright, and all the pieces are in place to take this program to the next level."
The Huskies finished the 2008 season with an 11-7 record, highlighted by two individual MAC Champions, a win over No. 5 Northwestern and three wrestlers totaling nine wins at the NCAA Championships.
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