Rob Wilson has worked in Heppner's football program for 11 years between the junior high and high school.

HEPPNER — Greg Grant walked the Heppner football sidelines for 35 years. Now, it’s time for someone else to wear a new path in the grass at Greg Grant Stadium.

Heppner promoted assistant football coach Rob Wilson to fill the position, and athletic director Jeremy Rosenbalm said they believe he will be a good fit.

“We are excited to have him step in and lead after Greg,” Rosenbalm said. “It should be a pretty smooth transition. He wants to continue the Mustang football tradition. Hiring within is a smooth transition and less distraction.” 

Grant put his heart and soul into the Mustangs’ football program for 35 years. He built a program that was admired throughout the state. He never had a losing season, won 29 Blue Mountain Conference titles, and led his team to state titles in 1992, 2015 and 2019.

“I don’t know if I will last 35 years like Greg, but I should be around a while,” Wilson said. “I’m excited, but there will be lots of eyes on it, for sure.”

At first, Wilson said he wasn’t sure if the job was right for him.

“I was kind of back and forth,” he said. “I had talked to my wife (Aymee) about following a legendary coach. She is very supportive. I talked to Greg. I was interested, but when it happened, I realized it was a good situation for me and for the athletes we have. The transition should be pretty smooth.”

Between the junior high and high school, Wilson has worked with the football program for 11 years.

“He understands the system and the traditions that Greg has implemented over the years,” Rosenbalm said. “Excited to continue Mustang football like it has been. Everyone knows those are big shoes to fill, but there are a lot of good athletes who are coming through. It’s a nice situation to come into with the players who are coming up. The potential and the athletes are there. Chad Doherty does our junior high program, and the youth coach will be the same.”

With a new coach, all assistant coaches are required to reapply for their jobs. In Heppner, the assistants were Wilson and longtime assistant Les Payne, who walked off the field for the last time with Grant.

There are three paid positions, so two need to be filled. There also are volunteers who have been with the program for years.

“I had conversations with some of the coaches,” Wilson said. “They said they wanted to stick with it if the right person was in place. I think it will make the transition easier.”

Wilson is not Heppner born and bred, but he and his family moved to Heppner in 2012. His son Jayden was a quarterback for the Mustangs and helped them to a state title in 2019.

“We wouldn’t have moved to Heppner if not for football,” said Wilson, who came to Heppner from Portland. “We found out they had a pretty special program. To watch my kid grow up in the program, and play for Coach Grant, and see the traditions, I wanted to be able to provide that experience for future Mustangs.”

The Mustangs will have a good amount of talent returning, including all linemen except Jaime Cavan, and running backs Alakae Rodriguez and Tripp Stewart.

“I think the kids are happy with it too,” Wilson said. “We should be good. A lot of returning players and younger kids will step in and fill the spots. Our line will be our strength.”

Wilson, who is head of custodial and maintenance at the school district, said he will remain the girls basketball coach, a position he has held the past 10 years.

“I made that pretty clear when that came up,” Wilson said of coaching both teams. “For the time sake of coaching football and then basketball, it will still be pretty similar. I wanted to do both and at a high level. I have a special bond with the girls basketball team. I didn’t want to give that up with them thinking football was more important.”