Jason Garrett has had a long and “interesting” career as a coach in the NFL, but he’s never coached college football. Perhaps that could change based on a recent report.
The longtime Dallas Cowboys head coach and recently fired New York Giants offensive coordinator is “on the radar” for the Duke Blue Devils job, according to Steve Wiseman of the News & Observer. The school is looking to replace David Cutcliffe, with who they cut ties after 14 seasons.
It might sound like a strange idea considering Garrett has never even coached as an assistant in college football, but given how strange the coaching carousel has been so far this season, is this any stranger?
Garrett certainly brings some bona fides with him as a candidate. A two-time Super Bowl winner as a player, Garrett has an extensive history working with quarterbacks like Tony Romo, Dak Prescott, and former Duke QB Daniel Jones. He also knows what it takes to make it in the NFL, which is appealing to recruits. And he did play football in college, as a quarterback for the Princeton Tigers, an institution that prides itself on academics, much like Duke.
He’s up against some stiff competition, such as Clemson’s Tony Elliott and Texas A&M’s Mike Elko, both of whom can hit the ground running on the recruiting trail. That’s a big question mark for Garrett, who never had to work that kind of schedule.
While it remains to be seen how serious of a candidate he’ll be, the college football world already has some thoughts on the matter via social media.
Duke person reaches out upon reading that Jason Garrett is in serious consideration for that job pic.twitter.com/dLcymOS24q
— Alex Kirshner (@alex_kirshner) December 7, 2021
Imagine choosing Jason Garrett over Tony Elliott if both are actual choices. https://t.co/ok7IELbnnu
— Matt Zemek (@MattZemek) December 7, 2021
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.