Florida State University Athletics
Staff Directory
- Title:
- Deputy Athletics Director/General Manager of Player Personnel
John Garrett returned to Florida State on Jan. 1, 2026, as FSU's first Deputy Athletics Director and General Manager of Player Personnel. In this newly created position, Garrett oversees all football roster construction, player evaluation, recruiting operations, and NIL integration.
Garrett rejoined Florida State from Duke University, where he served as General Manager of Player Personnel for two seasons after two seasons on FSU's football staff.
Garrett reports directly to Vice President and Director of Athletics Micahel Alford and works in close partnership with head football coach Mike Norvell, aligning Florida State's football program with an NFL-style operational model designed to maximize competitive success in the evolving college football landscape.
Garrett brings extensive experience across college football operations, player personnel, and strategic planning. He spent the last two seasons at Duke, where he helped build rosters that won 17 games and the 2025 ACC championship. He played a key role in roster management, recruiting coordination, and the integration of analytics and evaluation processes into football decision-making.
Prior to his stint at Duke, Garrett played a pivotal role in FSU's return to prominence while serving as director of scouting for offense during the 2022 and 2023 seasons at a critical moment when roster building in college football was rapidly changing. He helped bring an NFL-style evaluation approach to FSU, focusing on disciplined film study, transfer-portal assessment, and roster analysis to support smarter personnel decisions. During his first stint at FSU, the Seminoles posted a 23-4 overall record, including a perfect 13-0 regular season in 2023 that culminated in the program's first ACC championship since 2014.
Garrett's work emphasized identifying players who could contribute immediately, understanding positional needs and depth, and reducing risk in an increasingly competitive NIL and portal environment. Garrett's role strengthened how the program evaluated talent and laid important groundwork for the front-office model now used across major college football programs.
Garrett was the head coach at Lafayette College from 2017-21 and also has collegiate coaching experience as the offensive coordinator at Oregon State and Richmond and wide receivers coach at Virginia. He has 18 years of experience in the NFL, spending six seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, including his last two seasons as passing game coordinator, as well as with the Cincinnati Bengals, Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Garrett earned his bachelor's degree in history from Princeton in 1988. He and his wife, Honor, have four children, John Jr., Honor, Olivia and Caroline. His brother, Jason, was head coach of the Dallas Cowboys from 2010-19, and their father, Jim, spent 38 years in the NFL as a scout and assistant coach.
| Years | Team | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2026- | Florida State | Deputy Athletics Director/General Manager of Player Personnel |
| 2024-25 | Duke | General Manager of Player Personnel |
| 2022-23 | Florida State | Director of Scouting (Offense) |
| 2017-21 | Lafayette College | Head Coach |
| 2016 | Richmond | Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach |
| 2015 | Florida | Quality Control Analyst (Offense) |
| 2014 | Oregon State | Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks & Tight Ends Coach |
| 2013 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Wide Receivers Coach |
| 2011-12 | Dallas Cowboys | Passing Game Coordinator/Tight Ends Coach |
| 2007-10 | Dallas Cowboys | Tight Ends Coach |
| 2006 | Virginia | Assistant Head Coach for Offense/Wide Receivers Coach |
| 2004-05 | Virginia | Wide Receivers Coach |
| 2003 | Cincinnati Bengals | College Scout |
| 2002 | Cincinnati Bengals | Tight Ends Coach |
| 2001 | Cincinnati Bengals | Offensive Assistant |
| 1999-2000 | Arizona Cardinals | Quarterbacks Coach |
| 1997-98 | Cincinnati Bengals | Offensive Assistant |
| 1996 | Cincinnati Bengals | Wide Receivers Coach |
| 1995 | Cincinnati Bengals | Offensive Assistant |
| 1992-94 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Pro Personnel Assistant/College Scout |
| 1990 | Princeton | Volunteer Assistant Coach |
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