John Garrett - General Manager of Player Personnel - Football Support Staff

John Garrett

Title:
General Manager of Player Personnel
Email:
DukeFBRecruiting@duke.edu
Phone:
(919) 684-2635

John Garrett joined the Duke football staff in January 2024, and currently serves as the General Manager of Player Personnel.

Garrett brings to Durham more than 30 years of experience in the industry, including 14 years spent coaching at the NFL level.

He joins the Blue Devils after a two-year stint (2022-23) at Florida State University as its director of scouting for offense. While there, he was responsible for creating and coordinating advance scouting reports on opposing defenses and evaluating high school and transfer prospects. During that stretch, he helped the Seminoles to a 23-4 ledger and appearances in the 2022 Cheez-It and 2023 Orange Bowls. Last season alone, Garrett helped FSU finish the year 13-1, including a 16-6 victory over No. 14 Louisville in the ACC Championship game. Additionally, he helped the Seminoles secure the No. 7 and No. 11 overall signing class for the class of 2024, according to 247Sports.com and On3.com, respectively.

Before his time in Tallahassee, Garrett spent five seasons (2017-21) as the head coach and offensive coordinator at Lafayette College. During his time with the Leopards, Garrett coached three All-Americans, 35 All-Patriot League performers to 57 honors, and two players to three conference major awards.

Defensive lineman Malik Hamm claimed the 2018 Patriot League Rookie of the Year nod before earning the 2019 Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year honor. He concluded his tenure with the Leopards with 233 tackles, 50.0 tackles for loss, 32.0 sacks, 12 passes defended, eight caused fumbles, one fumble recovery and four blocked kicks. On the offensive side of the ball, Garrett mentored quarterback Keeghan Shoemaker, who was tabbed the 2019 Patriot League Rookie of the Year after finishing 216-of-360 (.600) pass attempts for 2,545 yards with 14 touchdowns and 141 rushes for 348 yards with three scores. He set the Lafayette freshmen single-season record for passing yards and led the conference in total offense (241.1 ypg).

Prior to his time in Easton, Pa., Garrett served one season (2016) as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of Richmond. In his short stint, the Spiders compiled a 10-4 record and made an appearance in the NCAA FCS quarterfinals. Richmond led the Colonial Athletic Association that season in passing offense (271.5) and red zone offense (.879), while finishing second in the league in scoring offense (28.6 ppg), total offense (409.90 ypg), third down conversion percentage (.421), completion percentage (.642), first downs offense (276), and passing efficiency (151.01)

Garrett also made one-year collegiate stops as a quality control coach for the offense at the University of Florida (2015), and the offensive coordinator, quarterbacks and tight ends coach at Oregon State University (2014). Additionally, he served in two roles at the University of Virginia (2004-06), spending one season (2006) as the assistant head coach for offense and wide receivers coach and two years (2004–05) as the wide receivers coach.

Garrett also spent 19 years in the National Football League, holding a variety of different positions with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dallas Cowboys, Cincinnati Bengals, and Arizona Cardinals. In total, he served four years with the Buccaneers organization, spending one season (2013) as the wide receivers coach and three years (1992-94) as the pro personnel assistant, college scout and coaches’ assistant. In his six seasons (2007-12) with the Cowboys under head coach Jason Garrett, he spent four years (2007-10) as the tight ends coach before being elevated to the pass game coordinator and tight ends coach his final two years (2011-12).

He served seven years (1995-98; 2001-03) within the Bengals organization, most recently as a college scout & pro personnel assistant (2003). During his time there, he evaluated game performances of current Bengals, college and free agency players and signed college players to NFL contracts, coordinated visits and organized workouts for prospective players. Garrett also spent time as Cincinnati’s tight ends coach (2002), offensive assistant (2001), and wide receivers coach (1995-98). In his two years (1999-2000) with the Cardinals, Garrett served as the quarterbacks and quality control coach.

Garrett was a three-year member (1983-84-85) of the football team as a wide receiver and return specialist at Columbia University before transferring to Princeton University for his final two years (1986-87). While with the Tigers, Garrett earned Second Team All-Ivy League honors and was an outfielder on the baseball team.

After his collegiate playing career, Garrett signed as an undrafted free agent with the Cowboys in 1988. Additionally, he spent time with the Bengals (1989, practice and active roster), Buffalo Bills (1991, practice roster) and Buccaneers (1992, free agent signee).

A native of Danville, Pa., Garrett graduated with a bachelor's degree in history from Princeton in 1988.

He is married to the former Honor Jones, of Greensboro, N.C., and they are the parents of four children, John Jr., Honor, Olivia, and Caroline.

Garrett’s father, Jim, spent 38 years in the NFL as a head coach, assistant coach, and scout. He served 11 years as an assistant coach with the New York Giants (1970-73), New Orlean Saints (1976-77), and Cleveland Browns (1978-81). Additionally, he spent one season (1974) as the vice president and head coach of the Houston Texans of the World Football League. Jim also spent time as a player and college scout for the Cowboys (1968-69, player scout; 1974-75, player scout; and 1987-2003, college scout) and Bills (1986, player scout). His brother, Jason, was the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys (2010-19), and now serves as an analyst for NBC Sports, while his younger brother, Judd, currently serves defensive coordinator for the St. Mark’s School of Texas in Dallas.