Kevin Garver
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born: | July 28, 1987 Tuscaloosa, Alabama, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Oak Mountain (AL) |
| College: | Alabama |
| Career history | |
| As a coach: | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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Kevin Garver (born July 28, 1987) is an American football coach who was the wide receivers coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He was previously the wide receivers coach for the Arizona Cardinals, and has also coached at Alabama, where he was a member of three national championship winning teams as a support staff member.
Coaching career
Alabama
Garver began his coaching career at Alabama as a student assistant in 2007 working under Nick Saban. He was promoted to a graduate assistant in 2010 and to offensive analyst in 2012. He would end up winning three National Championships while with Alabama.
Arizona Cardinals
Looking for an entry-level job with Bruce Arians and the Arizona Cardinals, Garver got a foot in the door when he met Arians thanks to Tom Moore, whom he met as working as his guide in Tuscaloosa when he was a low-level staffer at Alabama.[1] Garver was hired as an offensive quality control coach with the Cardinals in 2013, working with the wide receivers.[2] While in Arizona, he developed a close relationship with Cardinals star Larry Fitzgerald and was praised by Fitzgerald for his maturity at a young age, intelligence, and football knowledge.[3] He also had an interview request with the Seattle Seahawks blocked in order to keep him with the Cardinals with the hopes of keeping Fitzgerald in Arizona.[4] He was promoted to wide receivers coach in 2018 under first-year head coach Steve Wilks.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Garver was hired as the wide receivers coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2019.[5] He was named to The Athletic's rising NFL stars under the age of 40 in 2020.[6] He won his first Super Bowl as a coach when the Buccaneers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV.[7]
On January 19, 2023, Garver was fired by the Buccaneers.[8]
References
- ^ "'They're going to carry me off boots first': A life in coaching for Tom Moore, now 80". The Athletic. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
- ^ "Report: Cardinals expected to hire Alabama offensive quality control coach Kevin Garver". Arizona Sports. January 22, 2013. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
- ^ "An Important Offseason For Larry Fitzgerald". Arizona Cardinals. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
- ^ "Cardinals block offensive assistant close to Larry Fitzgerald from leaving". USA Today. January 24, 2018. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
- ^ "Reports: Nick Rapone, Kevin Garver to join Buccaneers coaching staff". NBC Sports. January 11, 2019. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
- ^ "NFL 40 Under 40: The rising stars shaping the direction of the NFL". The Athletic. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
- ^ "Super Bowl LV - Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Kansas City Chiefs - February 7th, 2021". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
- ^ "Bucs fire offensive assistants Kevin Garver and Todd McNair; Clyde Christensen to retire". nbcsports.com. Retrieved January 3, 2024.