Football

Already regarded 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 in July 2006 and he immediately made an impact, as the Cougars recorded back-to-back non losing seasons for just the third time in program history in his first two years.

Following three years as the Cougars' defensive coordinator, Garrett assumed the top spot at Kean after being named the 2005 American Football Coaches Association Division III Assistant Coach of the Year.

In his rookie season at the helm in 2006, Kean finished 7-4 overall, 4-3 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference and captured just the second Eastern College Athletic Conference championship in program history as Garrett was selected NJAC Coach of the Year by his peers.  In 2007, the Cougars won three of their final four games, including a season-ending victory over NJAC co-champion The College of New Jersey, giving the NCAA tournament bound Lions their only conference loss of the season.

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 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.

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.

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

In his sixth season on the sidelines at Kean, Keith Migliorino takes over as defensive coordinator after serving as the inside linebackers coach for the first five years and the special teams coordinator the last two seasons.

Under Migliorino's tutelage last year, the Cougar special teams ranked third in the New Jersey Athletic Conference in kickoff returns, punt returns and punting yardage.

A two-time all-NJAC linebacker during his four-year career at Montclair State University, Migliorino was a member of two NJAC Championship teams and made three trips to the NCAA Division III playoffs as a Red Hawk. A captain of the 2002 squad, Migliorino led the team in tackles (77), earning NJAC first-team and team defensive MVP honors.

Migliorino has been actively involved in local camps and clinics, including the Offense Defense Football Camp and the Shrewsbury Pop Warner clinic.

Migliorino earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from Montclair State University in 2005.

Entering his fourth season on the Cougar staff, Bill Nyers brings more than a decade of New Jersey high school head-coaching experience to Kean, where he will once again serve as the offensive coordinator.

A year ago, Nyers returned to the Cougar sidelines mid-year and rejuvenated the Kean offense that finished the season first in the NJAC in passing offense, total offense and passing efficiency, and ranked second in scoring offense, first downs and third-down conversion. 

After coaching stints at Highland Park and Mount Olive High Schools, Nyers took over the reigns of his alma mater, Woodbridge High School and helped build the Barrons into a perennial title contender.  In 1997, Woodbridge captured the Central Jersey Group IV State Championship, finishing 12^th in the The Star-Ledger's top 25 poll, with Nyers named the Middlesex County Coach of the Year and the Bill Denny Coach of the Year.

Nyers earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in special education from Kean University in 1993 and currently resides in Port Reading, N.J.

A three-year starter at defensive back for the Cougars, Dan D'Avanzo will begin his third season on sidelines for Kean as the defensive backs coach and first season assuming responsibility as the special teams coordinator.

During his career, D'Avanzo played in 31 games and recorded 132 tackles. A two-time honorable mention All-NJAC selection, D'Avanzo also had nine career interceptions, tying him for seventh in program history at the time, and 13 pass break-ups.

D'Avanzo earned a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education and health teacher certification from Kean in 2007 and is currently pursuing his master's degree in exercise science.  

Tom Langton returns for his third season as the offensive line coach and begins his first as the run game coordinator with the Cougars. 

Prior to arriving at Kean, Langton served as the offensive and defensive line coach at nearby Westfield High School two years ago.

After earning all-state, all-county and all-area accolades during his high school career at Westfield from 1995-99, the offensive tackle continued his career at Central Michigan University from 1999 to 2002, where he earned the Leadership and Motivation Award.

While concluding his undergraduate degree, Langton served as a student assistant coach for the offensive line at Central Michigan in 2003. 

Langton earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications from Central Michigan University in 2004 and is currently pursuing his master's degree in exercise science at Kean.

Nick Gregorio begins his second year at Kean, serving as the running backs coach in 2008 after coaching the defensive line a year ago. 

Gregorio began coaching as a graduate assistant at Springfield College, before a three-year coaching stint at Ridge High School, where he was also the strength and conditioning coordinator.

A former gridiron standout at Montclair State University alongside current Kean assistant coach Keith Migliorino, Gregorio was also an All-American shot-putter for the Red Hawk track and field team. 

A native of New Providence, N.J., Gregorio earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Montclair State and a Master of Education degree from Springfield College. He is a teacher at Ridge High School.

Jairus Kendle enters his second season on the Kean sidelines following his career as a four-year starter for the Cougars at outside linebacker.

Kendle earned 2006 New Jersey Athletic Conference second-team honors after recording 10 tackles for a loss of 48 yards and had seven sacks to rank second on the team in both categories and help anchor a defensive unit that ranked second in the NJAC in scoring defense.   

A 2006 team captain, Kendle earned his Bachelor of Arts in criminal justice from Kean in May 2008.

In his second year on the Cougar coaching staff, Matt Andzel will once again serve as a defensive line coach following a four-year playing career that concluded at The College of New Jersey. 

A 2001 graduate of nearby Westfield High School, Andzel began his collegiate career at Stony Brook before transferring to TCNJ in 2004, where he earned the Hank Johns Award in 2005.  

Andzel earned a Bachelor of Science degree in law and justice from TCNJ and is enrolled in the exercise science master's degree program at Kean.

Entering his first season on the Kean sidelines, Jack Maher will work with the Cougar wide receivers.

A former wide receiver at The College of New Jersey, Maher was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Bergen Tech High School and wide receivers and defensive backs at Wood-Ridge High School in his prior coaching stints.

Maher graduated from TCNJ with a degree in elementary education in 2002 and is currently pursuing his master's degree in administration from New Jersey City University, while also teaching at Gladys Cannon Nunery School in Jersey City. 

Malcolm Manning is in his second season on the Cougar sidelines following a standout four-year career for the Cougars.

Currently an offensive lineman with the Florida Stingrays of the American Football Indoor Association, Manning earned NJAC first-team, D3football.com East Region second-team and Don Hansen's Football Gazette East Region third-team honors as a senior captain in 2006.

Moving over to the Cougar sidelines for the first year after two years in a Cougar uniform, Andrew Miller will assist the offense and the quarterbacks as a student assistant.

Miller is majoring in physical education and health teacher certification at Kean.