Football

Kean Names Dan Garrett New Head Football Coach

UNION, N.J. - (7/13/06) - Widely acknowledged as one of the top young defensive minds in Division III football, Dan Garrett was named the head coach of the Kean University football program this week following three years as the Cougars' defensive coordinator, including last season when he was elevated to associate head coach. A veteran of nine seasons on the sidelines in the rigorous New Jersey Athletic Conference, Garrett assumes the top spot at Kean after being named the 2005 American Football Coaches Association Division III Assistant Coach of the Year. He is the 12th head football coach at Kean since the program's inception in 1970.

"I'm excited and honored to hold this position," said Garrett, 32. "We have a solid foundation for this program and we won't miss a beat in our progress; we're ready to go. The kids respect me, and they know I respect them and that I'll do whatever I can to give them the best chance to win on Saturday afternoons."

Garrett took the defensive coordinator's position at Kean prior to the 2003 season, a move that paid immediate dividends for the Cougar program. Since his arrival, Kean's defensive units have been ranked among the NJAC and national leaders. In Garrett's first season, the Cougars ranked first in the NJAC in pass defense and were second in the conference and 21st in the nation in total defense. In 2005, Kean ranked 33rd in the country in rushing defense, while also finishing second in the conference in turnover margin.

Kean Athletic Director Glenn Hedden is looking forward to Garrett's first season at the helm. "Dan has proven to be a vital asset to Kean football and we are confident that the program will continue to grow," said Hedden, who led the Cougars to their first NJAC title in 1987. "He has an outstanding background in football, both as a player and as an assistant coach, and has the requisite foundation to be an excellent head football coach."

Immediately following a standout playing career at Montclair State University, during which he was a First Team All-NJAC selection at linebacker and defensive end in 1995 and 1996, Garrett was invited to join the staff of longtime MSU head coach Rick Giancola. In both of his first two seasons on the staff, the Red Hawks added two victories to their previous total, winning eight games and winning the Southeast championship of the ECAC playoffs in 1998.

The following year, Garrett received an even bigger opportunity when Giancola offered Garrett the chance to assume control of the defensive unit, an almost unheard of responsibility for someone of his age and relative experience. He eagerly accepted and became the youngest defensive coordinator in the NJAC at the age of 25.

Opposing offenses were quickly overwhelmed by the ferocity of his defense, which finished in the top five nationally in yards allowed in Garrett's first year and helped the Red Hawks to their first NJAC title in a decade, followed by an encore in 2000. In his first four years on the job, Garrett's unit finished the season ranked No. 1 in the NJAC in total defense.

During his nine-year coaching career, Garrett has mentored three NJAC Defensive Players of the Year, including Kean linebacker and 2004 honoree Steve Skakum. Off the field, Garrett is active in the community, helping to organize book readings at local elementary schools as part of the National Education Association's Read Across America Day, celebrated annually on the birthday of beloved children's author Dr. Seuss. He also helps coordinate a pen pal program with 24 members of the Kean football team and students at Lyndhurst (N.J.) Elementary School.

Besides running a summer Pop Warner Youth Football Clinic in Shrewsbury Borough, N.J., Garrett also works with other youth league football teams in Watchung, N.J. In addition, he volunteers with the Wee Run Wild 5K race at Kean University, which benefits the Children's Museum of Central New Jersey, and along with six football players, teaches approximately 100 third grade students the sport of football each spring.

Garrett earned his Bachelor of Science degree in physical education in 1997 from Montclair State University. He and his wife Tammy reside in Tinton Falls, N.J. with their son, Shane.