FSU General Manager is Ready to Bring Program Back to Prominence

In the midst of Florida State's offseason staff and roster changes, perhaps the most significant hire for Florida State was new Deputy Athletics Director and General Manager of Player Personnel John Garrett, who stepped off the bus in Tallahassee intent on reshaping a program at a crossroads.

Charged with overseeing roster construction in an era defined by NIL influence and a relatively unregulated NCAA Transfer Portal, Garrett arrived with an NFL front-office background and a know-how to bring winning structure and sustainability back to the Capital City.

Returning Florida State to Prominence

Dec 16, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys passing game coordinator John Garrett on the field prior to the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Cowboys Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images | Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images

“We are all charged and motivated to accept the challenge to return Florida State football to prominence in college football," Garret said in a recent interview with On3 Sports' Adam Gorney. "That’s our challenge, and that’s our goal, and that’s what we think about and obsess about every single day.”

Garrett brings 18 years of NFL experience and a pro-style infrastructure to Florida State. The 60-year-old spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons with the Seminoles as the program’s director of scouting for offense before departing for Duke, where he played a key role in developing the Blue Devils’ first ACC Championship roster.

Overseeing all football roster construction, player evaluation, and recruiting operations amid the current NIL landscape won't be easy. The man who reports directly to Florida State Athletic Director Michal Alford knows that there isn't much time to start fitting the pieces of the puzzle together.

“Who would we like to retain? Who don’t we need to retain? Who are we only going to invest in so much?" Garrett continued. "All of those decisions and simultaneously trying to get up to speed on the projected portal board to see who we’re going to add so we can augment the roster from players outside the organization.”

A Foundation on High School Recruiting

John Garrett and players — John Garrett | X.com

Garrett believes that a team's success and backbone are built on high school recruiting, and that is the key to long-term infrastructure and success. Developing that talent to build your culture internally to a level where bringing in experienced, productive, and immediate impact transfers are the keys to success.

“The foundation is always good high school recruiting. As you develop them and get them to the point they can play, and then the portal guys are people you add who can play right away because they are productive," Garrett said.

"When you bring in good, talented people into your organization and they produce, things can change quickly," Garrett added. There is evidence of this throughout history in sports, out of sports, everything.”

That evidence will have to change things in a hurry if head coach Mike Norvell wants to get off the hot seat. The Seminoles have not won a road contest in over two years, not coincidentally when Garrett was at Florida State. A quick turnaround after a rebuilding year won't be easy, but FSU feels like it has the people in place to right the ship.

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