West Virginia State University Athletics

INSTITUTE, W.Va. -- Head Football Coach John Pennington announced Ryan Garrett as the Pass Game Coordinator and Wide Receivers Coach for the upcoming 2020 campaign over the offseason. Garrett joins the West Virginia State University coaching staff after serving as an Offensive Graduate Assistant and Assistant Quarterbacks Coach at NCAA Division I Ole Miss.
 
"Ryan is an exceptional young coach with experience at the FBS level," said Pennington. "He has worked with multiple NFL receivers and has a passion for helping develop young men. He's already had a huge impact on our players in the short time that he's been here."
 
Garrett began his foray into coaching as a Student Assistant at Ole Miss during his undergraduate studies. He graduated in 2018 with a bachelor's degree in Managerial Finance and was hired on as a Recruiting Analyst and Offensive Assistant. The following season, he continued on the Rebels coaching staff as an Offensive Graduate Assistant and Assistant Quarterbacks Coach.
 
While serving as a Recruiting Analyst and Offensive Assistant in 2018, Ole Miss touted the ninth most prolific offense in the country with 6,126 yards gained and 510.5 yards per game (YPG). The Rebels' 510.5 YPG ranked second in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) that year behind only Alabama. Additionally, they led the SEC in passing with 346.4 YPG. Garrett's assistance as a Recruiting Analyst showed positive results as well with the Rebels fostering in the No. 22 recruiting class in the nation in 2019. 
 
While serving as an Offensive Graduate Assistant and Assistant Quarterbacks Coach in 2019, Ole Miss ranked third in Total Offense in the SEC behind only Alabama and LSU with 445.3 YPG. Garrett worked closely with freshman quarterback John Rhys Plumlee who combined for 1,933 yards both on the ground and through the air while accounting for 16 total touchdowns and throwing just three picks.
 
Garrett also worked on the offensive side of the ball at Ole Miss when future second-round NFL draft picks A.J. Brown and D.K. Metcalf were emerging as two of the best wide receivers in all of college football. As a redshirt sophomore in 2018, Metcalf averaged 21.9 yards per catch and caught the attention of NFL scouts with his sheer physicality. He went on to post 900 reception yards and seven touchdowns in his rookie season with the Seattle Seahawks. Meanwhile, Brown picked up over 1,000 receiving yards in his sophomore and junior seasons with the Rebels before going on to post over 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns with the Tennessee Titans in his rookie year.
 
Garrett will have the opportunity to showcase all that he's learned by working with some of the top talents at the highest level in his new role as Pass Game Coordinator and Wide Receivers Coach at West Virginia State. His knowledge and experience will certainly add to an already impressive offense at WVSU that finished No. 29 in all of NCAA Division II in Total Offense with 438.9 YPG last season.
 
Garrett graduated from North Henderson High School (Henersonville, N.C.) where he captained the football team and was named All-Conference at the wide receiver position. He is the son of Craig and Kristin Garrett and has two brothers, Jacob (21 years old) and Blake (11 years old). He played college football at Emory & Henry College (Emory, Va.) for one year before transferring to Ole Miss and switching over to coaching.