TicketsCINCINNATI - Two key pillars of the Cincinnati football program, Director of Football Sports Performance Niko Palazeti and General Manager Zach Grant, have agreed to contract extensions that will keep them with the Bearcats through at least 2028.
Cincinnati football Head Coach Scott Satterfield and Director of Athletics John Cunningham announced the extensions on Monday, solidifying the personnel and strength development staffs for years to come.
Palazeti and Grant have been with the Bearcats since the move to the Big 12 in 2023. Each has been integral in UC’s build from three wins in Satterfield’s first year in 2023 to seven wins this fall, including several weeks in the AP Top 25 and a bowl appearance.
“I’m ready to turn the page to next season and get to work taking this program from good to great,” Satterfield said. “It starts with Niko and Zach, and I’m excited to announce they are staying at the University of Cincinnati. Strength and conditioning and player personnel are the lifeblood of our program. Keeping consistency in the leadership of these programs will be vital to our success. Niko and Zach have been key to building our roster, both in recruiting our guys here and in developing them when they arrive on campus.
“Niko is a true leader and one of the best motivators I have ever been around. His enthusiasm for Cincinnati is contagious. I know he is ready to get to work for next season.
“Zach is an outstanding evaluator of talent and also has a relentless work ethic. He is passionate about improving all facets of our program.”
Palazeti’s infectious enthusiasm has helped form the current culture of Cincinnati football, where he is wrapping up his third season leading the sports performance unit. He leads a team of five that operates out of Cincinnati’s state-of-the-art, brand-new Sheakley Athletics Performance Center. He has developed 20 different Bearcats into All-Big 12 selections, including All-America offensive linemen Evan Tengesdahl and Luke Kandra, as well as former walk-on Antwan Peek Jr. and Jake Golday, who transferred from the FCS to become a Top 50 NFL Draft prospect.
Under Palazeti’s guidance, five Bearcats have been named to Bruce Feldman’s annual “Freaks” list in The Athletic, which touts the nation’s top weight room warriors, including wide receiver Jeff Caldwell, nose tackle Dontay Corleone, and Golday this past year.
“I’m honored and blessed to be a part of the Cincinnati football program under Coach Satterfield,” Palazeti said. “My family and I have really enjoyed our time here for the last three years, and we are excited to continue raising our family here. The work for 2026 begins now. I’m ready to help take this program to the next level.”
Prior to arriving in Cincinnati, Palazeti spent six seasons at Ohio State, where he helped the program compile a 67-9 record and four Big Ten titles. He has also made stops at Mississippi State and Maryland. Palazeti received his bachelor’s degree from Michigan State, where he was a two-time letterwinner before injuries sidelined him permanently in 2013. He and his wife Kelsey have two daughters, Mia and Olivia.
Grant, one of the most well-respected general managers in the sport, has done an excellent job of utilizing the transfer portal to bring high-level talent to Clifton. Some of his best transfer additions include All-Big 12 performers Golday, tight end Joe Royer, wide receiver Cyrus Allen and quarterback Brendan Sorsby, as well as All-American Kandra. Grant has also brought in talented freshmen classes and added 2024 Freshman All-American Simeon Coleman.
“I’m excited to keep building at the University of Cincinnati with Coach Satterfield and the rest of our staff,” Grant said. “We’re aligned and committed to improving this program through the transfer portal immediately, while also continuing to look to build through the high school ranks.”
Prior to Cincinnati, Grant earned FootballScoop.com’s Player Personnel Director of the Year award while at Western Kentucky, where he became the youngest GM in the country at the age of 23 in 2017. He was the GM at WKU in 2021 and spent the 2022 season as director of player personnel at Ohio State. Grant earned his bachelor’s degree from Notre Dame, where he worked with the football program. He and his wife Rachel have one son, Baker.
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