Union Selects Hillside's Grant
As 17th Head Football Coach

In his first high school head coaching stint in New Jersey after a lengthy resume filled with high school and college stops scattered from the Midwest and South to the East, Barris Grant made going to Hillside games a must-see for local high school football fans.

Grant turned Hillside into the power that it never was and had the Comets competing for state championships all but his first season at the helm.

Included in a dominant run were three straight sectional state titles and one regional crown that topped off a program-best 12-0 mark in 2019.

Before that Hillside had only reached two sectional state championships games, in 1983 and 1985, and won just one, in 1985.

Now Grant will eye similar success at a larger school right down the road.

At the Tuesday night, Feb. 18 Union Board of Education meeting, Grant was officially named Union's 17th head football coach.

"I'm excited!," said Grant. "It's a storied program and I think we can do great things here.

"We're going to try and build it back up and I believe that the school has a lot of talent."

Grant, who will turn 46 on March 4, succeeds Jason Scott, who was elevated to interim head coach last year after Lou Grasso, Jr. stepped down to become the athletic director at Colonia.

Scott was among those who also interviewed for the position.

"When I was at Irvington we beat Union twice in my four years but they were usually playing for state championships," said Grant. "There's pride in the town. It just needs to be re-energized."

Grant, a 1997 Irvington graduate who went on to play collegiately at Mississippi State, is Union's first African-American head football coach.

Union has won only one sectional state championship since 1993 which was the 2019 North 2, Group 5 crown.

"When last season ended Union alumni reached out to me and thought I would be a good fit," Grant continued. "For me the main attraction at Union is it is a natural progression for me going from a small school in Hillside to a big school in Union."

Grant's nine season record at Hillside from 2016-2024 was 67-25 (.817). He guided the Comets to Central Jersey, Group 2 crowns in 2017 and 2018 and to the South Jersey, Group 2 title and the Central-South Group 2 Regional championship in 2019.

Hillside became the first Union County school to win sectional state titles in the sections Central Jersey, Group 2 and South Jersey, Group 2.

"When I got to Hillside I didn't know what to expect and then when we won our first state championship we expected to win more and we did," said Grant. "God blessed me with a great group of kids who had faith and trust in me.

"The only thing that slowed us down was covid."

"Leaving Hillsdie is bittersweet but there are always new begnnings. Halim McNeil was good to me. We will always be '140.'

Under Grant's guidance Hillside qualified for the state playoffs every year since 2017, with the exception of the 2020 pandemic season where there were none. He had only one season under .500 at Hillside and not making the playoffs, his first in 2016, and just one season at .500, which was last fall.

Grant succeeded Halim McNeil as Hillside's head coach in 2016. McNeil, who played his high school football at Union, went on to become the athletic director at Hillside.

One of Grant's assistant coaches was former Union standout Darnell Stapleton.

Before becoming the head coach at Hillside, Grant was an assistant coach at Shabazz under head coach Darnell Grant, his older brother. Darnell Grant, who coached against many Union teams while the head coach at his alma mater Irvington, is now the head coach at West Orange.

BARRIS GRANT RECORD AT HILLSIDE:

2016: (4-6) - no playoffs

2017: (9-3) - Central Jersey, Group 2 champions

2018: (11-1) - Central Jersey, Group 2 champions;
Lost the Central Jersey vs. South Jersey Group 2Regional Championship Game
to Haddonfield 17-7 at MetLife Stadium.

2019: (12-0) - South Jersey, Group 2 champions;
Won the Central Jersey vs. South Jersey Group 2 Regional Championship Game
over Cedar Creek 25-3 at Rutgers.

2020: (4-2) - pandemic season, there were no playoffs

2021: (7-3) - Central Jersey, Group 2 semifinals

2022: (9-2) - North 1, Group 3 finalists

2023: (6-3) - North 1, Group 3 quarterfinals

2024: (5-5) - Central Jersey, Group 2 quarterfinals

Record: 67-25 (.817)

Sectional playoffs: 12-4

Group 2 Regional title games: 1-1

BARRIS GRANT COACHING RESUME:

2001: Graduate assistant at Mississippi State

2002: Assistant coach at Irvington under his brother Darnell

2003-2005: Assistant coach at Benedict College in Columbia, SC

2006: Assistant coach at Irvington under his brother Darnell

2007: Defensive coordinator at Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pa.

2008: Linebacker coach at New Mexico State

2009: Defensive line coach at McMurry University in Abilene, Texas

2010: Internship with Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2011: Defensive coach with Abilene Roughriders of Arena Football League

2012-2015: Offensive coordinator at Shabazz under his brother Darnell

2016-2024: Head coach at Hillside

    
UNION FOOTBALL HEAD COACH RECORDS:

Miss Durling, one season, 1922: (0-7-2, .000)

Harold Burke, two seasons, 1923-1924: (0-6-4, .000)

Harry Lake, 21 seasons, 1925-1945: (82-81-19, .503)

Charles Walters, five seasons, 1946-1950: (11-30-3, .268)

Ray Foster, two seasons, 1951-1952: (2-12-2, .143)

Jack Garrabrant, five seasons, 1953-1957, (27-11-6, .711)

Richard Weber, 12 seasons, 1958-1969, (65-31-10, .677)

Joseph Bizzaro, seven seasons, 1970-1976, (31-30-2, .508)

Lou Rettino, 19 seasons, 1977-1995, (171-23-4, .881)

John Johnston, one season, 1996, (8-3, .727)

Gary Zakovic, four seasons, 1997-2000, (28-13, .683)

Marc Crisafi, six seasons, 2001-2006, (35-29, .547)

Brian Sheridan, five seasons, 2007-2011, (32-19, .628)

Dominic Cuniglio (interim), one season, 2012, (5-4, .555)

Lou Grasso, Jr., 11 seasons, 2013-2023, (67-49, .578)

Jason Scott (interim), one season, 2024, (2-8, .200)