John O'Grady returned to UWRF in 2023 as an assistant football coach. He spent nine years previously on the UW-Whitewater staff, and has over 30 years of knowledge coaching at the collegiate level.
O'Grady is no stranger to the WIAC. He was the head coach for 22 seasons (1989-2010) at UW-River Falls, where he amassed a record of 105-112-3, the sixth-most wins in WIAC history. His league record was 74-80-3 and included Coach of the Year honors in 1995.
O'Grady's next stop was a two-year stint as the assistant head coach at UW-Oshkosh from 2011-2012. He helped the Titans to a WIAC title and was named 2012 NCAA Division III Coordinator of the Year by footballscoop.com. In 2013, he was on the sidelines for UW-Stout as tight ends coach.
O'Grady was a linebacker for the UW-River Falls from 1972-75. He was named team captain and most dedicated in 1975, when the Falcons notched their first conference title in 18 years. Following his playing career, O'Grady was a student assistant coach for the Falcons' 1976, 1979 and 1980 WIAC championship teams.
A Chicago native, O'Grady was inducted to the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2008. He earned his bachelor's in physical education from UW-River Falls in 1979 and his master's in supervision and instructional leadership from the same institution in 1983.
