Zach Grant enters his first season as WKU Football's General Manager after five years as Director of Player Personnel. He joined WKU in January 2017 as the youngest Director of Player Personnel in the country at 23 years old.
Grant leads the recruiting efforts for the Hilltoppers, and is responsible for managing the construction of the roster. He spearheads the identification and evaluation of prospects from high school, junior college and the transfer portal. In addition to his recruiting responsibilities, he is also the NFL liaison for the Hilltoppers.
During his time at WKU, Grant has played an integral role in signing three of the top four and six of the top ten rated players in program history. He has helped recruit 47 All-Conference players to The Hill – including the 2021 C-USA Most Valuable Player, the 2019 and 2021 C-USA Defensive Player of the Year, and the C-USA Newcomer of the Year in both 2019 and 2021. In addition, WKU has appeared in four bowl games in his five seasons.
Grant helped recruit several players with program-wide and national records including:Â
- Defensive end DeAngelo Malone – who is the program’s FBS Era record holder in sacks (34) and tackles for loss (60), while ranking second in total tackles (349).
- Quarterback Bailey Zappe – who is the NCAA’s all-time single-season record holder in passing yards (5,967) and passing touchdowns (62).
- Wide receiver Jerreth Sterns – who is the program’s all-time single-season record holder in receptions (150), receiving yards (1,902) and receiving touchdowns (17 ties for most).
- Wide receiver Mitchell Tinsley — who owns the program’s fourth-best single-season totals in receptions (87), receiving yards (1,402) and receiving touchdowns (14 ties for fourth).
In 2018, Grant was one of the key cogs in guiding WKU to its highest-ranked recruiting class in program history. In his fifth season with the Hilltoppers – with a roster comprised of players he helped recruit over the previous four years – WKU won the 2021 C-USA East Division title and earned a spot in the league’s Championship Game.
Prior to graduating from the University of Notre Dame in 2016, Grant spent the 2014 and 2015 seasons as a student recruiting specialist for the Fighting Irish. He spent the 2016 season as a recruiting and personnel assistant, working directly under Director of Player Personnel Dave Peloquin.
In total, Grant has lent a hand in recruiting 17 NFL Draft picks, and played a key role in acquiring Ian Book, who is the all-time winningest quarterback in Notre Dame Football history.
