Grant Olson, a record-setting All-America linebacker during his career at North Dakota State, returned to his alma mater as the linebackers coach in 2019 under head coach Matt Entz and was named defensive coordinator in 2024 under head coach Tim Polasek.
Olson has been part of three NCAA Division I FCS national championship teams as a player and four as a coach with the Bison.
Three players have earned All-America honors during Olson's time as linebackers coach at NDSU. Logan Kopp was a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award in 2023, while Jabril Cox and James Kaczor, CoSIDA Academic All-American® Jackson Hankey and all-conference linebacker Jasir Cox were part of Bison teams that led the FCS in scoring defense in 2019 and 2021 allowing 12.3 and 11.1 points per game, respectively.
Olson was a three-time FCS national champion for the Bison during his playing career from 2010-2013. He made a single-game record 29 tackles in a 2012 playoff victory over Wofford College and was an Associated Press All-American in 2013.
He was a student assistant in 2014 with then NDSU linebackers coach Matt Entz before spending two years as a graduate assistant at Wyoming in 2015 and 2016 under former Bison head coach Craig Bohl.
Olson was the linebackers coach at Indiana State for the 2017 and 2018 seasons under Curt Mallory, helping the Sycamores turn around an 0-11 first season to a 7-4 finish in his second year. He coached two all-conference linebackers in Jonas Griffith and Katrell Moss.
Olson graduated from NDSU in 2014 with an industrial engineering and management degree. He is married to former LPGA tour golfer Amy (Anderson) Olson, who was a four-time NCAA qualifier and Summit League Golfer of the Year with the Bison.
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| Grant Olson Year-by-Year Coaching History |
| Year |
School |
Position |
| 2014 |
North Dakota State |
Student Assistant |
| 2015 |
Wyoming |
Graduate Assistant |
| 2016 |
Wyoming |
Graduate Assistant |
| 2017 |
Indiana State |
Linebackers |
| 2018 |
Indiana State |
Linebackers |
| 2019 |
North Dakota State |
Linebackers |
| 2020-21 |
North Dakota State |
Linebackers |
| 2021 |
North Dakota State |
Linebackers |
| 2022 |
North Dakota State |
Linebackers |
| 2023 |
North Dakota State |
Special Teams Coordinator/Linebackers |
| 2024 |
North Dakota State |
Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers |
