TAMUC

Defensive backs coach Darren Garrigan earns NFL Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship for second straight year

COMMERCE – Texas A&M University-Commerce defensive backs coach Darren Garrigan has received the NFL’s Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship for the second consecutive year. He will work with the Kansas City Chiefs as part of the Fellowship.

Garrigan will coach with the Chiefs starting this weekend as the staff prepares for training camp at Missouri Western State in St. Joseph, Mo. Training camp begins on July 28, and Garrigan will remain with the Chiefs through their first preseason game on August 11, when Kansas City hosts the San Francisco 49ers at Arrowhead Stadium.

“It is a great honor to receive another opportunity to continue my professional development in the NFL,” Garrigan said. “It has always been a dream of mine to be associated with the NFL and being able to go back to back years with two great organizations in the Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs is a blessing.

“The coaching profession is all about relationships and during my time in coaching I have built some strong relationships with the main people. Don Carthel, Colby Carthel, Justin Deason, and Tim McCarty all played a vital role in my development. I have known Al Harris, the secondary coach with the Chiefs, for a few years now and we have built a healthy relationship. Al was vital for me getting the fellowship. I learned so much last year from Jim Caldwell and will be looking forward to learning from Andy Reid and his staff. A&M-Commerce has been great to me and looking forward to coming back and having a great 2017 season.”

“We’re very excited for coach Garrigan, as he is more than deserving of this appointment,” said A&M-Commerce head football coach Colby Carthel. “The fact that this is his second consecutive year for selection to this prestigious program speaks volumes about him and the work he has done here at A&M-Commerce.”

This year is Garrigan’s second year in a row earning the Fellowship, after working with the Detroit Lions in 2016. The program’s objective is to use NFL Clubs’ training camps, offseason workout program and minicamps to give talented coaches opportunities to observe, participate, gain experience, and ultimately acquire a full-time NFL coaching position.

Garrigan has coached at A&M-Commerce since 2014, with his secondary producing ten all-Lone Star Conference and three all-region players, including 2016 LSC Defensive Back of the Year Uriah Harris. In three seasons, the Lion defense has intercepted 52 passes and caused 102 pass breakups. During the 2016 season, the Lions led the LSC and were fourth in the nation with 23 interceptions. Nine different defensive backs recorded at least one interception on the season. This effort bolstered the Lion defense that led all of Division II in takeaways with a staggering 38 takeaways.