AKRON, Ohio — St. Vincent-St. Mary High School has announced that former Ohio State star Doran Grant will be the next head football coach for the Fighting Irish.
“With tradition comes tremendous responsibility. I could not be more excited for the opportunity to be back home,” said Grant after he was chosen as the next head football coach of his alma mater.
Grant, who graduated from SVSM in 2011, will become the 10th head coach in the program's history, following the retirement of head coach Terry Cistone.
“We are beyond excited to welcome Doran back home as our next head football coach,” STVM Athletic Director Kyle Sasala said. “He has very impressive playing and coaching experience that will benefit our student-athletes on and off the field.”
During his time at St. Vincent-St. Mary, Grant was a four-year letterman, receiver, kick returner, defensive back and an All-American under head coach Dan Boarman.
“We as a committee unanimously believed that Doran was the best candidate to be the next head football coach for the Fighting Irish,” STVM President Mark Butterworth said. “His dedication to the STVM community, the city of Akron, energy and drive will bring the football program to be high atop a hill in Akron once again.”
Following high school, Grant went on to play for Ohio State, where he was a four-year letterman, a team captain from 2013-15, an All-Big Ten honoree (2013 honorable mention; 2014 first team) and a member of the 2014 national championship team.
After his senior season, Grant declared for the 2015 NFL Draft, where the Pittsburgh Steelers chose him in the fourth round.
He spent time with the Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Chicago Bears during his NFL career from 2015 to 2018. In 2019, Grant played for the Atlanta Legends in the Alliance of American Football and for the Washington D.C. Defenders in the XFL in 2020.
Following an illustrious playing career, Grant began his coaching career at Pickerington North High School serving as the defensive backs coach from 2022-23. In March 2023, Grant was named the defensive coordinator, defensive backs coach and special teams coordinator at Elyria Catholic High School.
Currently, Grant owns Akron's Very Own, a strength and conditioning business, where he mentors and develops athletes and high school teams throughout the state of Ohio.
Additionally, Grant has served as the director of training for Raw Talent Sports and coach for the Rivals Five Star Challenge camp series, Nike Football camps, and NXGN All-American Showcase camps.
The hiring came after Cistone announced his retirement as head football coach at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School. Cistone had been at the helm of the Fighting Irish varsity football program since 2022.
MORE ON WKYC...
