SMU Athletics

David Gru joined the Mustang staff in January of 2018 and serves as wide receivers coach.

Gru’s wide receiver group continued to impress in 2020, with a pair of Mustangs listed on the Biletnikoff Award Watch List (Reggie Roberson, Jr. & Rashee Rice). Roberson, Jr. was also named a preseason All-America selection by Phil Steele’s Magazine.

SMU was the only school in The American to have five players with at least one 100-yard receiving performance in 2020, and the Mustangs produced multiple 100-yard receivers in three games in 2020.
 
Gru mentored James Proche to FWAA Second-Team All-America honors after finishing the 2019 season with an FBS-leading 111 receptions. Proche’s 8.5 receptions per game ranked second nationally, while his 15 receiving TDs were fourth. Both his receiving yards (1,225) and receiving yards per game (94.2) ranked in the top 20.
 
Proche ranked first on the FBS career active lists for receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns in 2019 and finished his career as SMU’s all-time leader in all three categories.
 
He was also a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff and Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Awards, and was a member of the Maxwell and Paul Hornung Award Watch Lists and was a unanimous first-team All-AAC selection. Proche was selected in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens.

In 2018, Proche earned Biletnikoff Watch List and first-team All-AAC honors. He finished the season ranked fifth nationally in receptions per game (7.8), seventh in receiving touchdowns (12) and ninth in receiving yards (1,199).

Gru spent the 2017 season at TCU as an offensive analyst and worked with quarterbacks. The Horned Frogs posted an 11-win season in 2017, reaching as high as No. 4 in the National rankings, and defeated Stanford in the Valero Alamo Bowl. TCU also made an appearance in the Big 12 Championship.

Prior to his time at TCU, Gru served as a graduate assistant working with quarterbacks and wide receivers at California where he helped mentor No. 1 NFL Draft pick Jared Goff, as well as draft selections Kenny Lawler, Trevor Davis and Chad Hansen. Lawler was a first-team All-Pac 12 selection, while Hansen earned mid-season All-America honors as well as a first-team all-conference nod. Gru also mentored freshman All-America selection Demetris Robertson.

Cal improved on its national rankings in passing offense and total offense each year from 2013-2015, while ranking in the top 10 in both during his final season.

Gru played three seasons at wide receiver for Louisiana Tech (2010-12). The Bulldogs earned a berth to the 2011 Poinsettia Bowl after winning the Western Athletic Conference.

Gru received his bachelor's degree in business finance from Louisiana Tech in 2012 and went on to earn to earn a master's degree in public health from Cal in 2015.

Gru and wife Rachel have one son, Owen.