GAINESVILLE — Riverside Military Academy will have its sixth head football coach in the past 11 seasons for the upcoming 2017 season.
Riverside Military President, Colonel William J. Gallagher, announced in a press release onTuesday that the Eagles have hired Nicholas A. Garrett to take over the Eagles program.
Garrett comes to Riverside Mlitary from Oxnard, Calif., where he was the head football coach at Santa Clara High School. Garrett will be taking over for Kelly Davis, who led the Eagles the past two seasons.
Since an eight-year stint by Doug Dixon from 1999-2006, Garrett is the sixth coach since then and only Gary Downs (2012-14) stayed more than two years in that span.
Garrett’s experience also includes time as the offensive coordinator at Bethel College in Newton, Kansas, quarterbacks coach and game coordinator at Western New Mexico University, quarterbacks and wide receivers coach at Kansas Wesleyan University, and offensive coordinator at East Los Angeles Junior College in Monterey Park, CA.
Garrett coached nine 1st team All-Americans, a top-five nationally ranked offense in three consecutive years, and the No. 1 passing offense in the nation for junior colleges in 2012. In 2011, Garrett’s offense contributed to the conference championship and a bowl victory at East Los Angeles Junior College.
Garrett holds a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and a Doctorate in Education. In the classroom 10 of his former players achieved Academic All-American status.
Riverside Military plays in Region 8-AA with oter area teams Rabun County and Banks County and perennial power Elbert County.
