Grant Cain - Football Coach - James Madison University Athletics

Grant Cain

Title:
Special Teams Coordinator/Tight Ends
Email:
caingm@jmu.edu
Phone:
540-568-6517

Grant Cain was hired on Jan. 3, 2019, as an assistant coach with the James Madison University football program, working with the tight ends and serving as special teams coordinator. Ahead of the 2022 season, Cain was promoted to assistant head coach.

This past season, he coached a pair of players to postseason honors in tight end Drew Painter and punter Sam Clark.

Painter was an Honorable Mention All-Sun Belt selection in 2022 after corralling 19 catches for 221 yards and two touchdowns. JMU’s top tight-end target was JMU’s fifth-leading receiver. His tight ends unit, which consisted primarily of Painter and Zach Horton, combined for 32 catches for 380 yards and four touchdowns.

On special teams, Clark was named Virginia Sports Information Directors Second Team All-State after averaging 43.2 yards per punt, the third-highest average in JMU single-season history. Of his 50 kicks, 16 went inside the 20 and nine over 50 yards with only four touchbacks.

Prior to JMU’s jump to the FBS, Cain’s special teams units ranked as some of the nation’s best year in and year out, highlighted by the NCAA’s all-time leading kicker, Ethan Ratke. During the 2021 campaign, Ratke set the NCAA all-divisions record for career field goals (101) and scoring by a kicker (542) while finishing second amongst all FCS players and 13th by any player from any division in career scoring.

In 2021, JMU led the country in field goals per game (2.07) while ranking fourth in kick-return average (26.5) and field goal percentage (.906), seventh in kickoff-return defense (15.25), eighth in punt-return defense (3.7), 12th in blocked punts (2) and 20th in net punt average (38.8).

Ratke hit a JMU single-season record with 29 field goals, which included a record six converted kicks in a single game at William & Mary on Nov. 13. He capped off the season by earning Consensus All-America status for the second straight year. Ratke, along with long snapper Kyle Davis took home FCS All-America honors. Solomon Vanhorse, who averaged 27.6 yards per kick return with a touchdown, was a Sophomore All-American as well.

During the spring 2020-21 campaign, Ratke produced his first Consensus All-America nod, while Davis was also a First Team All-American. Ratke was a perfect 14-for-14 on field goals to pace the country in field goal percentage while ranking sixth in field goals per outing (1.75) and seventh in scoring (9.1).

In his first season at JMU, Cain began the molding of the special-teams corps into a national power. The Dukes led the country in blocked kicks (9) while ranking sixth in kickoff-return average (24.16) and field goals per game (1.69), 16th in punt-return average (12.76), and 25th in punt-return defense (5.67). Ratke kicked home a then-JMU and CAA record with 27 field goals in 2019 to earn Third Team All-America accolades. His leading tight end, Dylan Stapleton, was also named Second Team All-CAA that season.

Cain came to JMU after spending six seasons on the staff at Mercer where led the special teams unit and inside linebackers (2013-18). He was also assistant head coach in 2017 and 2018, seasons in which the Bears were one of the nation’s top teams in terms of special teams.

During the 2018 season, Cain guided the Bears to top-12 rankings nationally in four statistical categories, which included leading the country in net punting (40.58). He mentored Matt Shiel to the eighth-best punting average (43.6) in the FCS. Mercer also led the Southern Conference and ranked ninth nationally in kick-return average (25.57) while ranking 12th in both punt-return average (14.17) and punt-return defense (4.35).

In 2017, the Bears paced the nation in kick-return defense while also ranking 10th in punt-return average and 18th in kick returns. Mercer produced top-15 rankings on special teams in five of his six seasons. That season also marked the fourth straight season the team had at lead 21 turnovers, registering 25. The Bears also led the country with 16 fumble recoveries.

Mercer led the SoCon and ranked sixth nationally with 13 fumble recoveries in 2016. The year prior, the Bears led the league in scoring defense, at 21.6 points per game while forcing a SoCon-leading 21 turnovers.

In 2014, Cain’s group led a defense that ranked second in the conference in forced turnovers and fourth in total defense. That season, Tyler Ward set the program’s single-game record with 18 tackles and eclipsed the 100-tackle mark to earn All-SoCon honors. On special teams, Chandler Curtis led the nation in 2014 with four returns for a touchdown to earn the team’s first All-America accolade in school history. In his first season, Mercer ranked second in the FCS in rushing defense, as the linebackers produced two of the four top tacklers, led by Tyler Ward’s 101 tackles and 10.5 tackles for loss.

Cain came to Mercer following a seven-year stint at Coastal Carolina (2005-12), where he held various positions with the Chanticleers. After beginning his CCU career as a graduate assistant, he became a full-time assistant in 2007, being appointed the outside linebackers coach. Coastal ranked among the nation’s top-23 programs in tackles for loss in 2007, led the conference in TFL’s in 2009 and paced the league in sacks in 2009.

During his time in Conway, Cain was part of three Big South Conference championships (2005, 2006, 2010). He also contributed with instructing the special teams unit while at Coastal and also held a role with the inside linebackers.

Cain is a 2003 graduate of Catawba, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He also received a master’s degree in instructional technology from Coastal Carolina in 2007.

Cain is married to the former Shauna Koontz, and they have two sons, Caleb and Samuel.