LaMar Garrett - Track & Field Coach - Kansas State University Athletics

LaMar Garrett

Title:
Assistant Coach
Phone:
(785) 532-7071

The Garrett File

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Education: Kansas State '08
Wisconsin '12
Athletic experience: K-State

COACHING HISTORY

2018-Present: K-State Assistant Coach
2013-2018: Illinois State Assistant Coach
2011-2013: Wisconsin Volunteer Assistant

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Played a vital role in building the combined events program at Illinois State, guiding James Brandenburg to a sweep of the heptathlon/decathlon MVC titles in 2017.

While at Wisconsin, Garrett coached four NCAA first-round qualifiers in the high jump, one Olympic Trials qualifier in the decathlon and a pair of runner-up finishes at the NCAA Indoor Championships in 2012 and 2013

As a student-athlete at K-State, Garrett was a three-time All-Big 12 selection and a member of the Commissioner's Honor Roll in 2017 and 2018.

LaMar Garrett enters his third season with the K-State track and field program and his tenth in collegiate coaching. He serves as an assistant coach where he will assist Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Cliff Rovelto with the sprints, hurdles, pole vault, high jump and combined events, while also helping in recruiting efforts.

In his first year with the Wildcats, Garrett helped coach the vertical jumps and combined events, in which the Wildcats were the only school in the country to send multiple entries to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in both the decathlon and heptathlon.

Garrett spent the previous five seasons as an assistant coach with the Illinois State track and field program, where he specialized in coaching the high jump and multi-events. He played a vital role in the building of the multi-events program for the Redbirds, where he recently guided James Brandenburg to the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) heptathlon and decathlon championships, and Tessa Holland to the Missouri Valley Conference Pentathlon championship and school record and high jump championship in 2018, as well as a second-place finish by Ashlee Stieler in the heptathlon. Both multi-event conference championships were the first in Redbird program history.

During his tenure at Illinois State, Garrett played an integral role in developing student-athletes to compete at the conference and national level, with his athletes scoring a combined 141 points (71 women’s, 70 men’s) at the indoor and outdoor MVC Championships in 2018. Garrett also led the men’s high jump squad to an indoor national ranking of 11^th and an outdoor national ranking of eighth, per the USTFCCCA event group rankings. Brandenburg was also a part of the second ranked hurdles group rankings.

In 2017, Garrett led freshman Anthony McRoberts to a 14^th place finish in the high jump at the NCAA Division I West Preliminary. McRoberts also earned All-Conference honors in the high jump during the same season, clearing 2.12m/6-11.50 to place second, while senior Haley Becker placed third in the women’s high jump. Holland also placed third in the multi-events during both the indoor and outdoor season. Garrett also guided two individuals to the USATF Junior Championships in 2017, including Jordyn Bruce in the 400-meter hurdles and McRoberts in the high jump.

When Garrett arrived at Illinois State in 2013, he helped re-develop the Redbird multi-events program, which had one individual, Kevin Fisch, on the roster at the time.

In 2014 and 2015, Garrett guided Fisch to a pair of All-Conference finishes in the multi-events at the MVC Championships. At the 2014 MVC Outdoor Championships, Fisch earned his first All-Valley performance by finishing third overall in the decathlon, before earning his second All-Valley honor at the 2015 Indoor Championships, where he finished third in the heptathlon.

Garrett’s guidance would lead the Redbirds multi-events group to break four school records and 37 school top-10 marks in events ranging from the hurdles to the high jump during his tenure at Illinois State, while also placing atop the MVC Championships throughout his career.

Prior to coaching at Illinois State, Garrett spent two years at the University of Wisconsin, where he served as a volunteer assistant coach. During his time at Wisconsin, Garrett helped the Badgers to record two top-10 marks in the high jump and a Big Ten heptathlon record. He coached four NCAA first-round qualifiers in the high jump, one Olympic qualifier in the decathlon and coached Japheth Cato to NCAA Indoor Heptathlon runner-up honors in both 2012 and 2013.

During his collegiate career, Garrett competed in the high jump at K-State, where he was a three-time All-Big 12 selection. Garrett was also named to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll in 2007 and 2008. He earned his bachelor’s degree in social science in 2007 from K-State, and a master’s degree in counseling and student development/athletic administration in 2009. Garrett is a native of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and currently resides in Manhattan.