Darren Garrigan, known as coach "DG", begins his season coaching cornerbacks at Texas Southern. Garrigan joined the TSU staff after a four-year stint at the University of Incarnate Word in San Antonio.

Garrigan made his impact at TSU felt quickly as the Tigers led the SWAC interceptions in 2022 with 16 picks. TSU also made the most of its interceptions returns as they returned a league-best four picks for touchdowns. Isaiah Hamilton was named First Team All-SWAC as a result of his efforts as he led the SWAC with two interception returns for touchdowns while also tying for a SWAC-best five interceptions in addition to six breakups.
 
Garrigan has plenty of championship experience as a player and a coach with a total of nine rings as either a coach or player. As a coach, Garrigan has five from his past two stops as a member of an NCAA Division II National Championship staff at Texas A&M-Commerce along with winning a pair of FCS Southland Championships at Incarnate Word.
 
At UIW, the Cardinals won a pair of Southland Conference Championships and made two appearances in the FCS Playoffs during Garrigan’s four-year tenure at UIW. Garrigan joined the staff as the cornerbacks coach in 2018 and was elevated to pass game coordinator/defensive backs coach while also serving as the camps coordinator and the NFL Liaison for the Cardinals.
 
In 2021, UIW advanced to the second round of the FCS playoffs for the first time in school history and defeated an FBS opponent (Texas State) for the first time ever. UIW led the Southland in scoring, pass defense and team passing efficiency defense in addition to fielding a pair of top 10 pass defenders in Rashon Davis (1) and Moses Reynolds (8). UIW also had two players rank in the top four in interceptions as the team ranked second overall in takeaways. The Cardinal secondary also allowed the least amount of passing touchdowns allowed in Southland play as Garrigan coached a trio of All-Southland defensive backs in Kaleb Culp, Moses Reynolds and Brandon Richard.

In 2019, Garrigan’s second season with UIW, the Cardinals won five games and set several program records. Under Garrigan’s tutelage, freshman DB Jaylon Jimmerson earned third team All-Southland Conference honors. Jimmerson added a HERO Sports Freshman All-America honorable mention accolade as well.
 
UIW forced 33 turnovers through its 12 games, which led the nation even through the first round of the FCS Playoffs and ultimately ranked third nationally. UIW had a 1.33 turnover margin, also a nation-best. The Cardinals snagged 17 interceptions, a conference-high mark that also ranked seventh nationally. Their 16 fumbles recovered ranked third. UIW had a takeaway in 23 consecutive games between 2017 and 2019. UIW’s defense scored four touchdowns, which led the SLC and ranked fifth in the nation.
 
Garrigan helped the UIW staff engineer one of the best turnarounds in the FCS in 2018. The Cardinals went from a 1-10 overall record in 2017 to a 6-4 regular season mark, a Southland Conference Championship, and an FCS Playoff berth. In addition, two defensive backs, Malick Phillips and Louis Otis earned all-conference honorable mentions.
 
Following the conclusion of UIW’s regular season (week 11), the Cardinals led the FCS with 29 turnovers gained. UIW recorded at least one turnover in every game played, including the playoffs, for the first time in program history. The turnover streak sits at 12 consecutive games following the 2018 season. Of these 29 turnovers, 18 were interceptions. This broke the previous program record of 16 picks, set in 2011.
 
The defensive highlight of the season came against Sam Houston State on Nov. 1, when UIW forced a program-record seven turnovers. These seven turnovers also led the SLC in 2018. The Cardinals also recorded four interceptions at Central Arkansas (Nov. 10), setting the program record for picks in a single game.
 
Prior to UIW, Garrigan spent four seasons as the secondary coach at Texas A&M Commerce. In four seasons, Garrigan tutored a secondary that was not only at the top of the Lone Star Conference, but was also one of the top in the country. He helped produced 14 all-conference players, three all-region players, one LSC Defensive Back of the Year and one All-American. In four seasons, the Lion defense intercepted 71 passes, caused 185 pass breakups and scored 12 defensive touchdowns.
 
During the 2017 National Championship season, the Lions had one of the top secondaries in the country. The team ranked 11th in the nation in opponent passing efficiency, 15th in scoring defense (16.7 points per game), 20th in red zone defense and ninth in interceptions (19). Eleven Lions recorded interceptions. The scoring defense was the best average in Texas among all scholarship programs.
 
Four defensive backs were named to the all-conference team in 2017. The most decorated was Yusef Sterling-Lowe, who was named a second team All-American by both the AFCA and D2Football.com in addition to his first team All-LSC selection. Alex Shillow and Chris Smith were both named second team All-LSC, while Darent White earned honorable mention accolades.
 
During the 2017 offseason, Garrigan was selected for the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship, where he spent time working in the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs. He assisted with training camp and the first pre-season game with Kansas City. This was the second consecutive year Garrigan was selected to participate. During his first year, Garrigan worked with the Detroit Lions.
 
In 2016, the Lions led the LSC and were fourth in the nation with 23 interceptions. Nine different defensive backs recorded at least one interception. This bolstered a Lion defense that led all programs in the nation with 38 takeaways. Reggie Kincade also boosted the turnover effort, ranking seventh in the nation in fumble recoveries. The Lions led the conference and were second in the nation with seven defensive touchdowns. They also led the conference in scoring defense. Yusef Sterling-Lowe had a team-high four interceptions and ranked first in the LSC with two interception returns for touchdowns.
 
Under Garrigan, Uriah Harris earned LSC Defensive Back of the Year and received second team all-region and first team All-LSC honors in 2016. That same season, Sterling-Lowe and Trey Porter received All-LSC honorable mention recognition.
 
In 2014 and 2015 the Lions led the conference in interceptions, takeaways and passing efficiency defense.
 
Garrigan has mentored six NFL defensive backs and three CFL defensive backs in his career.
 
Garrigan joined A&M-Commerce from East Central University where he spent two seasons as the Tigers' secondary coach. In both 2012 and 2013, Garrigan helped the Tigers lead the conference in takeaways, ranking in the top 15 nationally. The Tigers also ranked in the top 25 in interceptions in 2012. He mentored three All-Americans and six all-conference players. The secondary racked up 48 pass breakups, 25 interceptions, 4 return touchdowns and 463 tackles.
 
Prior to his college coaching career, Garrigan worked at Freedom High School in Woodbridge, Va., where he was the assistant head coach and tutored the FHS defensive backs, mentoring three all-conference players and helping guide multiple student-athletes to scholarships to play college football.
 
As a player, Garrigan was a two-year starter at defensive back for West Texas A&M, where he was part of Don Carthel's first recruiting class. He helped lead the Buffaloes to the Lone Star Conference championship in back-to-back seasons (2005-06) and was 21-4 during that span.
 
Prior to West Texas A&M he played football at Lackawanna College where he was a preseason All-American and was team MVP for his sophomore season (2004).
 
Following his time at WT, Garrigan played two seasons in the arena league for the Alabama Vipers, and was a starting member of the Vipers' league-championship squad in 2008. He also had a short stint in the CFL.
 
Garrigan was the defensive coordinator of the D2 vs. NAIA All-Star Game in 2013.
 
A native of Dale City, Va., Garrigan earned his associate's degree in business studies from Lackawanna College in 2005. He earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from West Texas A&M in 2009 and a master’s in sports administration from East Central University in 2013.