Former Arkansas All-American Grant Morgan spent two seasons on the Illinois football staff in 2023 and 2024. He was a graduate assistant in 2023 before serving as the team's assistant linebackers coach during the 10-win 2024 season.

Illinois was Morgan's first stop in the coaching profession after he finished his playing career at Arkansas in 2021 and spending the 2022 season with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was played his first two seasons at Arkansas for then-Razorbacks head coach Bret Bielema, who also gave him his first job in coaching at Illinois.

As assistant linebackers coach in 2024, Morgan helped the Illini to a 10-3 record, tying the program's single-season wins record, and a final regular-season ranking of #20 in the College Football Playoff rankings. The season was capped by a 21-17 victory over #14 South Carolina in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl in one of the biggest bowl wins in program history, as the linebackers unit helped hold the Gamecocks to 14 points under their season scoring average and South Carolina's second-lowest scoring output of the season. The linebacking corps was spearheaded by honorable mention All-Big Ten honoree and team captain Dylan Rosiek, who led the team with 63 tackles through nine games before season-ending injury. Next to Rosiek, sixth-year senior Ryan Meed (50 tackles) made the jump from special teams stalwart to defensive starter. Additionally, Kenenna Odeluga (8 tackles, 3.0 sacks) fought his way back from a severe leg injury to earn Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honors, and sophomores James Kreutz (55 tackles) and Malachi Hood (14 tackles, 2.0 sacks) each saw their roles grow during the 2024 campaign. 

Morgan had a historic career at Arkansas, first joining the Razorbacks as a walk-on before becoming an All-American and Burlsworth Trophy winner as the nation’s best former walk-on. He totaled 313 tackles and 23.5 tackles for loss during 58 career games, and left Arkansas with two degrees. Morgan was inducted to the NFF National Scholar-Athletes Hall of Fame in 2021 and was a finalist for the prestigious Campbell Trophy. 

Morgan started 22 games over his last two seasons in 2020 and 2021, while also serving as a captain during both seasons. He earned All-SEC first-team honors and Walter Camp All-America second-team honors in 2020 after making 111 tackles during the COVID season. He again eclipsed the 100-tackle mark in 2021 with 101 to lead Arkansas to nine wins, including an Outback Bowl victory over Penn State. Morgan was a finalist for the 2021 Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year award.  

Morgan earned an undergraduate degree in Kinesiology at Arkansas in 2019 and a master’s degree in operations management in 2021. He and his wife, Sydnie, married in 2020 and have one son, Vic.