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Brad Griffin will enter his 11th season at the helm of the Southwestern College football program in 2026. Since taking over the Moundbuilders, Griffin has transformed the program into a national contender, leading Southwestern to three KCAC Conference Championships and three NAIA Football Championship playoff appearances in the last four years.
Griffin was named the 28th head football coach in Southwestern College history in January 2015, taking over a program that finished 1-10 the season before his arrival. Under his leadership, the Moundbuilders have become a consistent presence in the NAIA Top 25, appearing in the rankings in 58 of the last 62 polls dating back to 2020.
One of the program’s breakthrough seasons came in 2021, when Southwestern captured its first conference championship since 1999. The Moundbuilders finished the season 9-2, earned their first NAIA Football Championship appearance since 1999 and ended the year ranked No. 8 in the NAIA Postseason Poll. It also marked the program’s first postseason Top 25 finish since 1999.
The Moundbuilders continued their postseason success in 2024, when Southwestern hosted and won an NAIA FCS playoff game against the University of Saint Francis, the program’s first home playoff victory since 1998.
In 2025, Southwestern finished 8-3 and once again fielded one of the nation’s most productive offenses. The Moundbuilders averaged nearly 52 points per game and scored 82 total touchdowns on the season. Southwestern finished the campaign ranked No. 21 in the NAIA postseason poll.
Griffin is the winningest coach in Southwestern College football history with 72 total victories.
Before coming to Southwestern, Griffin spent 11 seasons at William Penn University in Oskaloosa, Iowa, where he served as defensive coordinator and coached the linebackers. During his tenure, the Statesmen compiled a 73-50 record and won co-conference championships in 2010 and 2012.
Griffin was also part of the staff that helped William Penn post its first winning season since 1976 when the Statesmen finished 6-5 in 2005. In 2011, he was named the Midwest League Tri-Assistant Coach of the Year after his defensive unit led the league in scoring defense and finished second in yardage.
Before joining William Penn, Griffin attended Emporia State University, where he played running back from 1999-2000. He graduated from Emporia State in 2000 with a degree in physical education and remained with the program as a graduate assistant for two years before becoming a full-time assistant in 2003.
Prior to Emporia State, Griffin attended Hutchinson Community College in Hutchinson, Kansas, from 1996-1997, where he also played running back. He later served one season as an assistant coach at Hutchinson before moving on to Emporia State.
Griffin lives in Winfield with his wife, Katie, and daughters, Brielle and Bayler.
