Houston Griffith is in his third season on the Illinois staff and first as an assistant defensive coach in 2025. He served as Illinois' assistant wide receivers coach in 2024, after previously working in the personnel and recruiting department in 2023. 

Griffith joined the Fighting Illini as a recruiting assistant in July 2023, following a five-year playing career at Notre Dame. A native of Chicago, Illinois, Griffith set the Notre Dame all-time record in career games played with 62. He finished his career with 94 tackles, including 71 over his last two seasons with the Fighting Irish from 2021-22.

In his first year as assistant wide receivers coach in 2024, Griffith helped one of the most productive receiving rooms in the Big Ten, as Illinois’ receiving corp ranked as the 7th-best in the nation according to PFF (83.0 grade). The wide receivers helped Illinois finish with a 10-3 record, tying the program's single-season wins record, and a #20 ranking in the College Football Playoff rankings. Senior captain Pat Bryant earned All-Big Ten Second Team accolades after ranking second in the league in receiving yards (984) and tied for first with 10 receiving touchdowns to match the Illinois single-season record. Three of Bryant’s 10 scores came in the final minute or overtime, as he led the nation in game-winning touchdowns in 2024. In addition to Bryant’s production, senior Zakhari Franklin added 613 yards on 51 catches with three touchdowns, closing his collegiate career as the NCAA’s active leader in both receiving yards (3,999) and receiving touchdowns (41). With Bryant out for Illinois' bowl game against #14 South Carolina, Hank Beatty stepped up with four catches for 90 yards to help Illinois to a 21-17 win in one of the biggest bowl wins in program history.

Griffith started his high school playing career at Mount Carmel in Chicago before transferring to IMG Academy (Fla.). He was a consensus top-100 player in the 2018 class after leading IMG Academy to a 9-0 record and No. 2 ranking in the final 2017 MaxPreps rankings.

Griffith is the son of Illinois all-time great Howard Griffith, who played running back for the Fighting Illini from 1987-90. The elder Griffith helped the Illini to a share of the Big Ten title in 1990 and a 10-victory season in 1989. He became team captain and proceeded to break several records including, Jim Brown's 48-point game NCAA record and Harold "Red" Grange's school-record 33 touchdowns in a career.

Coaching Career