Colorado School of Mines Men's Football

Recruit Area: Northern Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, Oklahoma

Kerry Grigsby joined the Mines Football staff in March 2026 as its defensive line coach. Grigsby came to Golden from New York where he had served as defensive line coach and academic success coordinator at Ithaca College since 2021. Prior to that, Grigsby assisted with the linebackers and was a graduate assistant at Concordia University St. Paul in Minnesota. While at Ithaca, Grigsby coached 14 all-Liberty League players as the Bombers won the conference title in 2022 and 2023. He was a member of the Liberty League Coaching Staff of the Year in those two seasons as Ithaca advanced to the NCAA Division III Championship third round in 2022 and second round in 2023. In 2025, the Bombers were 8-2 including a win over rival Cortland State in the Cortaca Jug game. In two seasons at CSP, Grigsby coached one of D-II's top defensive fronts that included Super Region 4 Defensive Player of the Year and NFL draft pick Chris Garrett. The Golden Bears were second in the nation in sacks in 2019 with 41, which included setting the NCAA D-II record for sacks in a game with 14; they also compiled 37 sacks in 2018, which ranked 11th nationally.  Grigsby earned his bachelor's degree from Concordia-Nebraska, where he played, and his master's from Concordia St. Paul.  

Recruiting Areas: Transfer Portal, Highlands Ranch, Centennial, Longmont, Northern Colorado (Erie, Fort Collins, Loveland), Dallas/Fort Worth area Yon Boone returned to Golden for his second tenure with Mines Football in the spring of 2024 as the program's special teams coordinator and running backs coach. Boone, who had previously been the Orediggers' defensive backs coach in the 2018 and 2019 seasons, spent the previous four seasons at Murray State as the Racers' defensive backs coach. His tenure at Murray State was highlighted by the development of All-American Marcis Floyd, and the Racers led the OVC in passing defense in the spring 2021 season. He led a defensive back group that produced 42 interceptions and 171 pass breakups during his tenure.  In his first tenure at Mines, Boone was part of the coaching staff that won back-to-back RMAC titles in 2018 and 2019. He coached Academic All-American Geoff Keating and current Mines DBs coach Anthony Makransky among six all-RMAC selections as Mines went 23-3 in those two seasons. In the 2024 season, Boone coached a productive running backs room led by all-RMAC selection Landon Walker, who ran for 741 yards and 11 touchdowns, and coordinated one of the nation's best special teams units that produced D-II's #1 net punting average.  Boone arrived in Golden from Lawrence University (Wisc.), where had held a variety of responsibilities, including defensive coordinator, since the 2015 season. Boone also coached the defensive backs and coordinated special teams and recruiting while overseeing football operations for the Vikings. Among his defensive highlights at Lawrence were seven all-Midwest Conference selections and NCAA Division III's #14-rated pass defense in 2016. As recruiting coordinator he oversaw the three largest classes in program history and was responsible for recruiting nationally, including in Colorado. Prior to his time at Lawrence, Boone was assistant head coach for defense and special teams coordinator at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire from 2012 to 2015. He has also been a defensive assistant at Eastern Kentucky, working with safeties and outside linebackers, from 2010-12; a defensive quality control coach at Wofford from 2008-10 assisting with the defensive backs; and he began his career as a student assistant at Hamline from 2006-08. Boone is a graduate of Hamline University with a B.A. in social studies education in 2008, and earned his M.S. in physical education and sport administration from Eastern Kentucky in 2011. Boone and his wife, Brittany, are both natives of Naples, Fla., and have two daughters, Emma-Kate and Baylor.  

Recruiting Areas: South Denver, Parker, Castle Rock, Colorado Springs; North and West Houston   Tim Brandon completed his second season as offensive coordinator in 2024, and eighth season overall on the Mines coaching staff. Brandon, who also works with the offensive line, has had two tenures in Golden, first as wide receivers coach in 2015 and then as offensive line coach from 2018-22 before being promoted to offensive coordinator.  In his first season as the offensive coordinator in 2023, Brandon led Mines to historic production as the Orediggers made their second consecutive appearance in the national championship game. Mines set the program record for wins going 14-1 and had four all-Americans (John Matocha, Levi Johnson, Steele Petty, and Max McLeod) on the offensive side of the ball. Mines' offense continued to put up big numbers with 46.5 points and 508.7 yards per game as Matocha, the Harlon Hill Award runner-up, became college football's all-time leader in passing and total touchdowns during the season. McLeod broke the program records for receptions and receiving yards, and Johnson became the first player in Mines history to win the Gene Upshaw Award as D-II's lineman of the year. The Orediggers set program records for yards in a season (7,630) and first downs (387). Mines had more offensive highlights in 2024 as the Orediggers ranked #5 in D-II in total offense and #12 in scoring offense led again by the receiver duo of Max McLeod and Flynn Schiele, who both earned all-America honors. Offensive tackle Nic Van de Graaf was an all-American and national finalist for the Upshaw Award. As the offensive line coach since 2018, Brandon has worked with some of the nation's best units and has produced all-Americans in Grant Stewart (twice) and Matt Armendariz (twice) along with Johnson, Petty, and Van de Graaf. Armendariz won the Rimington Award as NCAA Division II's best center in 2021 and 2022, the only two-time winner in the history of the award, and the 2022 team led the nation in scoring offense and red zone offense while ranking in the top 10 in fewest tackles for loss allowed. The 2023 team saw all five offensive line starters, plus tight end Preston Rose, earn all-RMAC honors, and the 2022 squad had four all-RMAC honorees from the offensive line with Johnson also earning all-region honors along with Armendariz.  The Orediggers have also had an all-American running back in three of Brandon's seasons, with Michael Zeman becoming Mines' all-time rushing leader and the state of Colorado's all-time touchdowns leader. Mines has won RMAC titles in 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023 and NCAA Super Region IV titles in 2021, 2022, and 2023 with Brandon on staff. As an offensive graduate assistant at Northwestern, he helped the Wildcats to consecutive bowl victories, winning the Pinstripe Bowl in 2016 and the Music City Bowl in 2017 to cap a 10-3 season. In addition to working with the offensive line, Brandon managed the defensive scout team and was an off-season strength and conditioning coach. While at Mines in his first stint in 2015, Brandon coached a prolific wide receivers group that included all-American Cole Spurgeon. Mines was second in the nation that year in total offense (542.2 yards per game) and led D-II in passing offense (365.3 yards per game). Brandon also has experience coaching at the high school level as he spent the 2014 season as an offensive assistant at Regis Jesuit in Aurora, and he was a student assistant coach during his time at the University of Wyoming. Brandon has a B.S. in business administration from Wyoming and a master's in sport administration from Northwestern.

Scott McLaughlin joined the Mines football staff in the winter of 2026 after a long and successful tenure as the defensive coordinator at Wayne State College in Nebraska. McLaughlin spent 19 years at Wayne State, where he held a number of positions including defensive coordinator (2014-25) and special teams coordinator (2008-13), while working primarily with the linebackers as a position coach. Over the past five seasons, the Wildcats won seven or more games each year, including nine wins in 2022 and eight in 2023. In 2025, the Wildcat defense ranked among the national leaders in NCAA Division II in total defense (8th), rushing defense (3rd), and scoring defense (11th) while intercepting 17 passes, which ranked eighth in the country. His 2024 team posted two shutouts in a season for the first time since 2006, and his 2023 unit was third in NCAA D-II in turnover margin (+18) thanks to 19 interceptions, which was fifth in D-II.  In 2022, the Wildcats earned the program's first NCAA Division II playoff berth since 2008 behind McLaughlin's defense as they won their first-ever NSIC championship. Wayne State led the NSIC in passing defense and defensive pass efficiency that season, going 9-3 overall.   McLaughlin is a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Omaha and played defensive line for the Mavericks, earning a bachelor's in continuing education. He also served as a student assistant at UNO and worked as the team's video coordinator for three seasons before heading to Wayne State. McLaughlin earned a master's degree in sport management from Wayne State. He and his wife Lindsay have two sons, Cooper and Noah.

Recruiting Areas: Denver Metro, Aurora; South Houston, Southern California   Anthony Makransky joined the Mines coaching staff as a defensive assistant in the winter of 2020 and was promoted the defensive backs coach prior to the 2021 season and defensive pass game coordinator in 2023. The former Oredigger cornerback was a two-time all-RMAC selection after transferring from Wyoming, and made 68 tackles with 24 pass break-ups and two interceptions in his two years at Mines. In his first season as the DBs coach, Makransky's unit was a key part of one of the nation's best defenses as they produced 18 interceptions - sixth-best in the nation - and helped Mines rank in the national top 20 in passing efficiency defense. Safeties Jaden Williams and Kobe Brewster, and corners Cam Forrest and Mason Pierce, each earned all-RMAC honors.  In 2022, the Mines secondary was led by all-American cornerback Mason Pierce as the defense generated 15 interceptions, again ranking in the top 20 nationally. All four secondary starters earned all-RMAC honors for the second straight year including Pierce on the first team, Forrest and Williams on the second team, and Logan Rayburn as honorable mention.  Makransky's 2023 secondary helped limit opponents to 174 passing yards and less than one touchdown per game, led by all-American cornerback Jackson Zimmermann and all-region safety Jaden Williams. Mines ranked 14th nationally in interceptions, third in scoring defense, and 10th in passing efficiency defense. In 2024, Zimmermann earned all-RMAC honors along with safeties Joel Diaz and Will Ramsey.  Makransky won a pair of RMAC titles as a player in 2018 and 2019, and three more as a coach in 2021, 2022, and 2023 along with three NCAA Super Region IV titles and appearances in the 2022 and 2023 national title games.  A native of Friendswood, Texas, Makransky earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Wyoming, and received his master's degree in mineral and energy economics from Mines in 2019.

Recruiting Area: Wyoming, Utah, Montana, Nevada A seven-year professional football veteran, Ryan Lewis begins his college coaching career at Mines, joining the staff in 2024 as the cornerbacks coach. Lewis most recently was the defensive backs and special teams coach at Eaglecrest High School in Aurora, Colo. In his first season, Lewis worked with three all-RMAC defensive backs in corner Jackson Zimmermann and safeties Joel Diaz and Will Ramsey. The Oredigger secondary produced five interceptions and 29 break-ups in 11 games. As a professional player, Lewis played cornerback as a member of the Arizona Cardinals, New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills, Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, and New York Giants from 2017 to 2022, and then spent two seasons with the San Antonio Brahmas of the XFL. He learned the game under top coaches like Bill Belichick and Sean McDermott, and compiled 56 tackles, two forced fumbles, nine break-ups and an interception in his NFL career.  A product of Eastlake High School in Sammamish, Wash., Lewis played college ball at the University of Pittsburgh and earned a B.A. in Administration of Justice in 2016. 

Recruiting Areas: Arizona, Oregon, Washington Chase Wilson joined the Mines football staff in the summer of 2025, serving as the program's wide receivers coach. Wilson arrives in Golden with a diversity of coaching experience, most recently as the tight ends and offensive line graduate assistant at Western Kentucky University in 2024. Prior to that he worked with inside linebackers and the offensive line at Murray State during the 2023 season. Wilson started his coaching career while still a student at Campbellsville University, first as a student assistant and then running backs coach in 2020 and 2021, and he also was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks/receivers coach at Allen County Scottsville High School in Kentucky in 2021. Wilson, who was a quarterback at Kentucky Wesleyan and Campbellsville, graduated with a B.A. in criminal justice administration from Campbellsville in 2022 and is working on his master's in organizational leadership at Western Kentucky.