What does it take to become an elite football GM? A Princeton degree and over 30 years of football experience propelled John Garrett to become the GM of Florida State. The 60-year-old arrives in Tallahassee to turn around the program after leading Duke to an ACC championship win. But he isn’t new to FSU football. Garett is actually coming back to his old stomping ground.

Who is John Garrett, and why did Florida State hire him as GM?

John Garett comes with more than 30 years of collegiate and NFL experience. His reputation as a world-class personnel evaluator and deep footballing roots explain why FSU hired him. The Danville, Pennsylvania, native’s brother, Jason Garrett, was the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys from 2011 to 2019. Moreover, his father, Jim Garrett, was an NFL scout for 38 years, as well as an assistant coach and head coach.

Florida State’s hiring of John Garrett is directly linked to the job he did at Duke. Garrett became Duke’s GM of player personnel in 2024 and stayed there till the end of the 2025 season. He collaborated directly with Blue Devils Chief Football Strategy Officer Binuk Kodituwakku and developed a comprehensive approach to the transfer portal.

The strategy ultimately filled several key gaps in the roster and brought in players like RB Star Thomaas and Al Wooten II. The additions worked like a charm as Duke attained a 9-4 record, their fourth nine-win season since 1941. Notably, he helped Manny Diaz defeat FSU 23-16, showcasing immense personnel build and program turnaround. Now, Florida State is in desperate need of the same resurgence, and Garrett seems to be the answer for their woes.

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FSU had a historically dismal season in 2024, managing just two wins. Coming back in 2024, the woes continued as the program again finished with a 5-7 losing record. Instead of looking for a fresh face, Garret’s arrival brings continuity to the program’s mindset after the previous general manager, Darrick Yray, accepted the same UCLA job. He had worked under Yray during his stint in the FSU and now becomes the top boss of the program’s front office.

What is John Garrett’s NFL and College Football background?

The FSU GM started his college football career at Columbia University in 1983 when his father was the program’s head coach. However, owing to a season-ending injury and his father’s resignation, Garett finally transferred to Princeton in 1987. As a senior, he led the team in receiving yards and tallied 45 receptions, earning Second-team All-Ivy honors. Although Garrett was undrafted in the 1988 NFL draft, the Cowboys still took him as a free agent.

Garret’s NFL playing career largely remained limited to offseason or practice squad appearances, and in 1995, he quickly found an offensive assistant job at the Cincinnati Bengals. Thereafter, several stints opened up, ranging from the QB coach position at the Arizona Cardinals in 1999 to the WRs coach position at Virginia in 2004.

Other stints in college football include his 2014 role as Oregon State’s OC and later becoming Richmond’s OC. Finally, in 2017, the 60-year-old was named the head coach of Lafayette, where he remained till 2021. Throughout this tenure, Garrett also managed operations in several locations.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were the first team to hire him as their Pro personnel assistant in 1992. Subsequently, in 2003, the 30-year veteran served as a scout for the Bengals. Nonetheless, Garrett’s big break in the footballing front office job was at FSU in 2022. He served as FSU’s Director of Scouting for two years and was pivotal in FSU’s 2023 undefeated season. That old connection also gives FSU the required trust, and Jarrett looks adamant to turn around FSU from its back-to-back woeful seasons.

Who Is John Garrett’s Wife, and Does He Have Children?

Much of the personal information about the head coach is scarce, as he keeps his personal life private. But from what we know about him, John is married to his college sweetheart, Honor Garett, who hails from Greensboro, North Carolina. The couple also has four children: John Jr., Honor, Oliva, and Caroline.

The family currently resides in Durham, North Carolina, due to John’s tenure at Duke. The residency might also be motivated by proximity to his wife Honor’s home, which is just an hour’s drive from Durham. Transitioning to FSU, we can see that the new FSU GM is relocating to Tallahassee, although this has not been specified yet.