Kerry Grigsby joined the coaching staff on July 26, 2021 as the defensive line coach. In his first season with the program, Grigsby coached two all-conference players in Ed Longest and Antonio Valle, while the entire defensive unit allowed just 11.7 points per game in 2021.
Two members of the defensive line, Jordan Sosa and Michael Blanchard, were named all-conference in 2022 as the Bombers were once again one of the top units in Division III. IC would finish the year with a 12-1 record.
In 2023, Ithaca went 9-3 overall and 6-0 in the Liberty League. The Bombers held their opposition to 17 points or less in nine games during the year as Sosa repeated as a Liberty League selection and Isaiah Couser was a first team honoree. Three more defensive linemen were Liberty League selections in 2024 - Couser, Owen O'Neill and Carson Ciancuielli - who anchored a defense that allowed 12.5 points.
Grigsby comes to South Hill after spending 2020 at Division II Concordia University in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he served as an assistant linebackers/inverts coach. Despite the cancellation of the season, Grigsby worked on daily practice plans and offseason training. Prior to his appointment to that capacity, Grigsby was a graduate assistant from 2018-20 at Concordia, where the Golden Bears won 11 games over those two seasons.
As a graduate assistant, Grigsby worked directly with the defensive line, mentoring the unit during practices and games, as well as at position meetings and film sessions. He also assisted the defensive coordinator with weekly game plans and scout.
Grigsby coached one All-American during two seasons, Chris Garrett, who was drafted in the seventh round in the 2021 NFL Draft. Garrett was a First-Team All-American by the AFCA and AP in 2018 and First-Team by the AP, D2football.com and D2CCA in 2019.
Grigsby earned his master's in 2020 from Concordia-St. Paul in exercise science. As an undergraduate, he went to Concordia University in Seward, Nebraska, where he majored in fitness studies, and played three seasons with the football program.
1/3/25
