La Junta -- Otero College Athletics hires Blaise Grant as the permanent Head Volleyball Coach for the Rattlers. Coach Grant, who served as the program's Assistant Volleyball Coach since 2024 and was promoted to Interim Head Coach Spring 2026, assumes full leadership of the program effective immediately.

Coach Grant brings extensive experience spanning top-tier NJCAA programs and NCAA Division I environments. During his tenure as Interim Head Coach at Otero, Grant demonstrated an exceptional capability to direct all aspects of the Otero program including technical player growth and tactical implementation. Beyond on-court training, Grant spearheaded recruitment for the volleyball program immediately bringing in top-tier talent.

His focus is on more than athletic excellence as his program standards emphasize team accountability, academic achievement, and community engagement.

"Coach Grant is a strong leader, a high-level tactician, and a champion for our student-athletes' academic and personal success," said Otero College Director of Athletics, Kyle Spencer. "His seamless transition to the interim role, combined with his recruiting network and deep operational knowledge within the NJCAA system, made him the ideal choice for the future of Otero Volleyball."

Prior to arriving in La Junta, Grant compiled a robust coaching resume heavily anchored in collegiate volleyball and athletic community programming. From 2020 to 2023, he served as the Assistant Volleyball Coach at Region 9 power Casper College, orchestrating the program's offensive attack strategy, coordinating recruiting visits, managing team travel, and assisting in the development of program marketing and fundraising.

Grant's elite-level coaching foundation also includes experience in the Pac-12 Conference where he served as a Volunteer Assistant Coach for NCAA Division I Oregon State from 2019-2020. At Oregon State, he assisted with comprehensive practice planning, film breakdown, tactical opponent scouting reports, and supported the high-profile Power-5 recruiting visits.

Complementing his extensive volleyball background, Grant brings over a decade of public administration, facility management, and large-scale operations experience, notably as the Recreation Supervisor of Aquatics for the City of Casper Parks and Recreation Department.