As UCF head coach Scott Frost returns to Orlando in 2025, he brings with him a defensive coordinator who boasts a decade of experience in the position accumulated at several Power Conference schools.
Alex Grinch began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Missouri in 2002 after a remarkable Division III playing career at Ohio's University of Mount Union. Playing safety for the Purple Raiders, Grinch was a member of three national championship teams and himself earned an All-America nod.
Since he joined the coaching ranks, Grinch has led a defense to a College Football Playoff berth (Oklahoma following the 2019 regular season), and played a role in the development of roughly two dozen NFL players. Now, the two-time Broyles Award semifinalist takes over a defense that was 12th in the 16-team Big 12 Conference in points allowed per game in 2024.
Here's a quick look at Grinch's coaching resume to-date.
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Experience
Missouri - (Graduate Assistant - 2002–2004)
(Safeties - 2012 - 2014)
New Hampshire - (Cornerbacks - 2005-2006)
(Defensive Backs/Recruiting Coordinator - 2007-2008)
Wyoming - (Defensive Backs/Recruiting Coordinator - 2009-2011)
Washington State - (Defensive Coordinator/Safeties - 2015–2017)
Ohio State - (Co-Defensive Coordinator/Safeties - 2018)
Oklahoma - (Defensive Coordinator - 2019-2021)
USC - (Defensive Coordinator - 2022-2023)
Wisconsin - (Co-Defensive Coordinator/Safeties - 2024)
Player Development
At New Hampshire, Grinch had a hand in the development of corner/safety Corey Graham, who was a fifth-round selection by the Chicago Bears in 2007, marking UNH's first draft pick since 1999. Graham was a Pro Bowl selection for the Bears in 2011 and went on to be part of Super Bowl-winning rosters with the Baltimore Ravens (XLVII) and the Philadelphia Eagles (LII).
During his time with the Wyoming Cowboys, grinch played a part in developing Tashaun Gipson, who later earned a Pro Bowl selection with the Cleveland Browns in 2014, two years after the organization signed him as an undrafted free agent. Grinch also coached Marqueston Huff, who was later a fourth-round selection by the Tennessee Titans in 2014.
In helping Gary Pinkel's staff at Missouri reach back-to-back SEC Championship games in 2013 and 2014, Grinch played a role in the development of defensive back E.J. Gaines, who was a sixth-round selection by the St. Louis Rams in 2014.
From 2015 to 2017 under Mike Leach at Washington State, Grinch coached a handful of players that went on to see time on NFL rosters, including 2017 All-American and Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year Hercules Mata'afa as well as Jalen Thompson, Daniel Ekuale, Frankie Luvu, Destiny Vaeao, Xavier Cooper, and Shalom Luani.
While Grinch was only the Co-DC for the Ohio State Buckeyes for one season in 2018, that team saw three players from that defense drafted into the NFL: Nick Bosa, Dre'Mont Jones, and Kendall Sheffield.
Grinch moved on to a successful stint as the DC for the Oklahoma Sooners, where he coached 11 draft picks and won the Big 12 twice before following Lincoln Riley to USC. Those players included Kenneth Murray (a first-round selection), Neville Gallimore, Ronnie Perkins, Rhamondre Stevenson, Tre Brown, Tre Norwood, Nik Bonitto, Brian Asamoah, Perrion Winfrey, Delarrin Turner-Yell, and Isaiah Thomas.
At USC, Riley lasted just under two full seasons, but again coached a number of future NFL players in Los Angeles. That included two All-Americans in Tuli Tuipulotu and Mekhi Blackmon.
At his most recent stop, a lone season as the safeties coach and Co-DC at Wisconsin, Grinch led a Badgers defense that included Colts 2025 seventh-round selection Hunter Wohler.
What They Have To Say
"I took my time with D-Coordinator and landed on Alex. I really like what he does," Frost told Knights247. "I think it fits us from a style perspective and on top of that, I think he's got a chip on his shoulder like I do. At one time, he was the hottest defensive coordinator in the country. He went to a spot where it didn't go as good as he wanted to and took a lot of that on the chin and a lot of the blame for it. Now I think he's hungry and has a chip on his shoulder. I think that parallels my track pretty well. So we're both hungry for another chance and we're collaborating pretty well."
Grinch and Frost are aligned on getting the program back to the standard of UCFast and establishing a brand of up-tempo defensive football.
"It's really good to be around a football coach that's in charge that tells you that's the brand that he wants," Grinch said of Frost. "As a coach, there's no conversation that we can have and say, well how do we want to play. No, he defines it for us. So that's probably the biggest thing from a vision standpoint. He anticipates eleven dudes running to the football on every single snap. That's exactly how I envision it, and it's a real good marriage that way...That's kind of our North Star is playing with that kind of speed and physicality."
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