Jason Garrett
Encyclopedia
Jason Calvin Garrett is an American
former National Football League
player and the current head coach
of the Dallas Cowboys
. Garrett had been the offensive coordinator
of the Cowboys before being promoted to his current position after the Cowboys fired coach Wade Phillips
on November 8, 2010.
at University School
in Hunting Valley, Ohio
, and was a letterman in football
, basketball
, and baseball
. In football, as a senior, he won All-League honors as both a quarterback and safety. Jason Garrett graduated from University School in 1984.
Garrett attended grade school at Saint Ann's, located in Cleveland Heights, Ohio
.
at Princeton University
, but transferred to Columbia University
when his father, Jim Garrett
, became the head coach
. Following his father's resignation as head coach after Columbia's 0-10 1985 season, Jason and his brothers, John and Judd
, transferred back to Princeton. At Princeton in 1987 and 1988, Garrett completed 366 of 550 passes (66.5%) for 4,274 yards and 20 touchdowns and won the Asa S. Bushnell Cup as the Ivy League
Player of the Year. In 1988 he piloted Princeton in a losing effort against his former team, snapping Columbia's 44-game losing streak. He earned a degree in history in 1989. He continues to hold the Ivy League
career record for completion percentage with 66.5% (366–550) and his 1988 percentage of 68.2% (204–299) stood as the league record until 2000, when Gavin Hoffman posted a 70.5% mark.
in 1989 and 1990. In 1991 Garrett started at quarterback for the San Antonio Riders
of the World League of American Football
, but suffered a separated shoulder
in the season opener. He'd return to play for the Riders later in the season, but was supplanted by Mike Johnson in the lineup. In 1992, Garrett played for the Ottawa Rough Riders
of the Canadian Football League
. In 1993, Garrett went to the Dallas Cowboys
, where he was the third-string backup to Troy Aikman
on the 1993 and 1995 Super Bowl
winning teams. In eight seasons with the Cowboys, Garrett played in 39 games and completed 165 of 294 passes (56.1%) for 2,042 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. The highlight of his career with the Cowboys occurred on Thanksgiving Day, 1994, when Garrett, starting in place of injured back-up Rodney Peete, led the Cowboys over the Green Bay Packers by completing 15 of 26 passes for 311 yards and 2 touchdowns in a second-half comeback. In 2008, that game was named the fourth-best moment in the history of Texas Stadium
by ESPN
. Garrett was promoted to second string Cowboys quarterback for the 1998 and 1999 seasons. Garrett started 5 games in 1998 while Aikman was injured (leading the team to a 3-2 record) and started two in 1999 (going 1-1). In 2000
, he went to the New York Giants
, where he appeared sparingly as the backup to Kerry Collins
from 2000–2003. In 2004, after a short stint as a backup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
, he went to the Miami Dolphins
.
in 2005–2006.
On November 8, 2010, he was named as the Dallas Cowboys' interim head coach following the firing of Wade Phillips after the Cowboys' 1-7 start for the 2010 season. On November 14, 2010, Garrett won his first game as a head coach, beating the favored New York Giants 33-20 in the Meadowlands. The next week, he led the Cowboys to a 35-19 victory over the Detroit Lions, their first home win all season. On January 6, 2011, Garrett was named the official Cowboys head coach; the 8th in Cowboys history.
and the Atlanta Falcons
receiving offers from both, but ultimately opted to remain in Dallas.
On December 29, 2008 the Detroit Lions
received permission to speak to Garrett regarding the teams head coaching vacancy according to ESPN sources. In January 2009, the Denver Broncos
also interviewed him as a possible replacement for fired coach Mike Shanahan
. He was also a finalist for the St. Louis Rams
head coaching position, to replace Jim Haslett
, the interim head coach. Ultimately, he lost the job to Steve Spagnuolo
.
, also played in the WLAF
, and Judd made second-team All-World League in 1991 after leading the league in catches. John is currently tight-ends coach for the Dallas Cowboys, and his younger brother, Judd, works in the Dallas Cowboys
front office after being let go as tight ends coach for the St. Louis Rams
. Since he played for the London Monarchs
, Judd is the only one of the Garretts who played in the WLAF to have a World Bowl ring. Another brother, Jim Garrett III, is an English teacher and former football coach at University School
in Hunting Valley, Ohio.
His father, Jim Garrett, was an assistant coach for the New York Giants (1970–1973), New Orleans Saints (1976–77), and Cleveland Browns
(1978–84); head coach of the Houston Texans of the fledgling WFL (1974); and head football coach at Columbia University
(1985). From 1987-2004, he served as a scout for the Dallas Cowboys.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
former National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
player and the current head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
of the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
. Garrett had been the offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
of the Cowboys before being promoted to his current position after the Cowboys fired coach Wade Phillips
Wade Phillips
Wade Allen Phillips is the defensive coordinator for the Houston Texans and former head coach for the National Football League's Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, and Buffalo Bills. He was also an interim head coach for the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons...
on November 8, 2010.
High school career
Garrett went to prep schoolUniversity-preparatory school
A university-preparatory school or college-preparatory school is a secondary school, usually private, designed to prepare students for a college or university education...
at University School
University School
University School, commonly referred to as US, is an all-boys K - 12 school with two campus locations in the Greater Cleveland, Ohio area...
in Hunting Valley, Ohio
Hunting Valley, Ohio
Hunting Valley is an affluent village located east of Cleveland in Cuyahoga and Geauga counties in the Northeast Ohio region, the 14th largest Combined Statistical Area in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the village population was 705...
, and was a letterman in football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
. In football, as a senior, he won All-League honors as both a quarterback and safety. Jason Garrett graduated from University School in 1984.
Garrett attended grade school at Saint Ann's, located in Cleveland Heights, Ohio
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
Cleveland Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States, a suburb of Cleveland. The city's population was 46,121 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Cleveland Heights is located at ....
.
College career
Garrett originally played college footballCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, but transferred to Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
when his father, Jim Garrett
Jim Garrett
James W. Garrett was a US football player, coach, and scout. He starred as a fullback and linebacker for Rutherford High School and as a running back playing college football at Utah State University. He had a short-lived pro career as a fullback with the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York...
, became the head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
. Following his father's resignation as head coach after Columbia's 0-10 1985 season, Jason and his brothers, John and Judd
Judd Garrett
Judd Garrett is an American football coach and former running back. He is currently the director of pro scouting for the Dallas Cowboys.-Early years:...
, transferred back to Princeton. At Princeton in 1987 and 1988, Garrett completed 366 of 550 passes (66.5%) for 4,274 yards and 20 touchdowns and won the Asa S. Bushnell Cup as the Ivy League
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
Player of the Year. In 1988 he piloted Princeton in a losing effort against his former team, snapping Columbia's 44-game losing streak. He earned a degree in history in 1989. He continues to hold the Ivy League
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
career record for completion percentage with 66.5% (366–550) and his 1988 percentage of 68.2% (204–299) stood as the league record until 2000, when Gavin Hoffman posted a 70.5% mark.
Professional career
He signed as a free agent with the New Orleans SaintsNew Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
in 1989 and 1990. In 1991 Garrett started at quarterback for the San Antonio Riders
San Antonio Riders
The San Antonio Riders were a professional American football team that played in the WLAF in 1991 and 1992. The team played in the Alamo Stadium in 1991 and then were forced to move to Bobcat Stadium on the campus of Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas, 45 miles northeast of San...
of the World League of American Football
World League of American Football
The World League of American Football was founded in 1990 with support from the National Football League to play professional American football in North America, Europe and later possibly Asia...
, but suffered a separated shoulder
Separated shoulder
A separated shoulder , is a common injury to the acromioclavicular joint. This is not the same as a shoulder dislocation as that involves a dislocation of the glenohumeral joint...
in the season opener. He'd return to play for the Riders later in the season, but was supplanted by Mike Johnson in the lineup. In 1992, Garrett played for the Ottawa Rough Riders
Ottawa Rough Riders
The Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. One of the oldest and longest lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup championship nine times. Their most dominant era was the 1960s and 1970s, a...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
. In 1993, Garrett went to the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
, where he was the third-string backup to Troy Aikman
Troy Aikman
Troy Kenneth Aikman is a former American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League. The number one overall draft pick in 1989, Aikman played twelve consecutive seasons as quarterback with the Cowboys...
on the 1993 and 1995 Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
winning teams. In eight seasons with the Cowboys, Garrett played in 39 games and completed 165 of 294 passes (56.1%) for 2,042 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. The highlight of his career with the Cowboys occurred on Thanksgiving Day, 1994, when Garrett, starting in place of injured back-up Rodney Peete, led the Cowboys over the Green Bay Packers by completing 15 of 26 passes for 311 yards and 2 touchdowns in a second-half comeback. In 2008, that game was named the fourth-best moment in the history of Texas Stadium
Texas Stadium
Texas Stadium was a football stadium in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The stadium opened on September 17, 1971.Built to replace the aging Cotton Bowl, it was the home field of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, and had a seating capacity of 65,675...
by ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
. Garrett was promoted to second string Cowboys quarterback for the 1998 and 1999 seasons. Garrett started 5 games in 1998 while Aikman was injured (leading the team to a 3-2 record) and started two in 1999 (going 1-1). In 2000
2000 NFL season
The 2000 NFL season was the 81st regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXXV when the Baltimore Ravens defeated the New York Giants.Week 1 of the season reverted to Labor Day weekend in 2000...
, he went to the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, where he appeared sparingly as the backup to Kerry Collins
Kerry Collins
Kerry Michael Collins is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers with the fifth overall pick of the 1995 NFL Draft, the first choice in the franchise's history...
from 2000–2003. In 2004, after a short stint as a backup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
, he went to the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Miami Dolphins
After retiring as a player, he became the quarterback coach for the Miami DolphinsMiami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in 2005–2006.
Dallas Cowboys
In January 2007, Garrett was hired by the Dallas Cowboys as offensive coordinator. His influence made the Cowboys the 2nd best offense in the NFL making him an attractive head coaching prospect. His salary in the 2008 season was nearly $3 million and was the highest salary for an assistant coach in the NFL.On November 8, 2010, he was named as the Dallas Cowboys' interim head coach following the firing of Wade Phillips after the Cowboys' 1-7 start for the 2010 season. On November 14, 2010, Garrett won his first game as a head coach, beating the favored New York Giants 33-20 in the Meadowlands. The next week, he led the Cowboys to a 35-19 victory over the Detroit Lions, their first home win all season. On January 6, 2011, Garrett was named the official Cowboys head coach; the 8th in Cowboys history.
Head Coaching Record
| Team | |Regular Season | DAL 2010 Dallas Cowboys season The 2010 Dallas Cowboys season is the 51st season for the team in the National Football League, and the second season playing their home games at Cowboys Stadium... |
2010 2010 NFL season The 2010 NFL season was the 91st regular season of the National Football League.The regular season began with the NFL Kickoff game on NBC on Thursday, September 9, at the Louisiana Superdome as the New Orleans Saints, Super Bowl XLIV champions, defeated the Minnesota Vikings 14–9.Tom Brady,... |
5 | 3 | 0 | 3rd in NFC East | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DAL 2011 Dallas Cowboys season The 2011 Dallas Cowboys season will be the Cowboys' 52nd season in the NFL, the third season playing their home games at Cowboys Stadium and the first full season under head coach Jason Garrett, who served as the interim head coach for the team's final eight games in 2010... |
2011 2011 NFL season The 2011 NFL season, the 92nd regular season of the National Football League, began on Thursday, September 8, 2011 with the Super Bowl XLV champion Green Bay Packers defeating the New Orleans Saints 42–34 at Lambeau Field and will end with Super Bowl XLVI, the league's championship game, on... |
7 | 4 | 0 | TBD | |||||
| Total | 12 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | ||||
Other coaching opportunities
In January 2008, Garrett interviewed for the head coaching job of the Baltimore RavensBaltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
and the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
receiving offers from both, but ultimately opted to remain in Dallas.
On December 29, 2008 the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
received permission to speak to Garrett regarding the teams head coaching vacancy according to ESPN sources. In January 2009, the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
also interviewed him as a possible replacement for fired coach Mike Shanahan
Mike Shanahan
Michael Edward "Mike" Shanahan is the 28th and current head coach of the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. Shanahan also holds the title of Vice President of Football Operations with the Redskins, giving him full control over player personnel with the team. Shanahan previously...
. He was also a finalist for the St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
head coaching position, to replace Jim Haslett
Jim Haslett
James Donald "Jim" Haslett is an American football coach and former linebacker. He is currently the defensive coordinator of the Washington Redskins. Previously, he served as the head coach for the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League, and the New Orleans Saints and St...
, the interim head coach. Ultimately, he lost the job to Steve Spagnuolo
Steve Spagnuolo
Steven Christopher Spagnuolo is the current head coach of the St. Louis Rams. He was previously the defensive coordinator of the New York Giants from January 2007 to January 2009, and also served for eight years under defensive coordinator Jim Johnson of the Philadelphia Eagles.-Early years:Born...
.
Personal life
Jason's brothers, John and JuddJudd Garrett
Judd Garrett is an American football coach and former running back. He is currently the director of pro scouting for the Dallas Cowboys.-Early years:...
, also played in the WLAF
World League of American Football
The World League of American Football was founded in 1990 with support from the National Football League to play professional American football in North America, Europe and later possibly Asia...
, and Judd made second-team All-World League in 1991 after leading the league in catches. John is currently tight-ends coach for the Dallas Cowboys, and his younger brother, Judd, works in the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
front office after being let go as tight ends coach for the St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
. Since he played for the London Monarchs
London Monarchs
The London Monarchs were a professional American football team in NFL Europe and its predecessor league, the World League of American Football . The Monarchs played their final season in 1998 as the England Monarchs...
, Judd is the only one of the Garretts who played in the WLAF to have a World Bowl ring. Another brother, Jim Garrett III, is an English teacher and former football coach at University School
University School
University School, commonly referred to as US, is an all-boys K - 12 school with two campus locations in the Greater Cleveland, Ohio area...
in Hunting Valley, Ohio.
His father, Jim Garrett, was an assistant coach for the New York Giants (1970–1973), New Orleans Saints (1976–77), and Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(1978–84); head coach of the Houston Texans of the fledgling WFL (1974); and head football coach at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
(1985). From 1987-2004, he served as a scout for the Dallas Cowboys.