Danny Russell

Athletic Coordinator/Head Football Coach

Coach Russell is excited to be beginning his sixth year as head coach and 24th total at GHS. He returned after being the head coach at Wichita Falls for three years where he led them to deep playoff runs in back to back years. Prior to that he was the defensive coordinator and outside linebackers coach at GHS from 2001--2012 A lifelong Owl he is a 1984 graduate of GHS. While there he was selected to the All-Metroplex and All-District teams in both football and baseball. He attended Panola College and the University of North Texas on baseball scholarships and captured All-Conference honors at both stops. He was the secondary coach for the 1999 state championship team and also helped coach the North all-stars to victory in the 2001 THSCA All-Star game. Coach Russell received his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of North Texas in 1989 and his Master’s Degree from Lamar University in 2009. He and his lovely wife Phyllis have three beautiful children and Chris, Alicia and Cody and three beautiful grandchildren-Macy, Dillon and Olivia

Varsity Coaches

Nelson Akinwande
 Wide Receivers

​Coach Akinwande is beginning his first year at Garland High School and seventh overall as a coach. Akinwande graduated from Southeastern Oklahoma State University in 2016 where he received his Bachelor's degree in Kinesiology, and Master's in Athletic Administration in 2017. He played running back at his alma mater and was a graduated assistant for two years. Akinwande had the opportunity to coach the all-time rushing leader at Southeastern Oklahoma state university and had two 1000-yard rushers in one season. He also coaches track at Garland High School and has had regional and State Qualifiers in track at his previous high school. One of his athletes placed 3rd in the 100-meter dash at the UIL 8-4A State Meet in Austin during the 2021 season at Dunbar High School.

Andrew Cano
Defensive Line

​​Coach Cano is entering his fifth year coaching at Garland High School. He graduated from Garland in 2010 along with receiving 1st team all-district playing OL for the owls. Coach Cano graduated from Texas State University with a bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering. His lady, Celeste, and him have a son together, AJ (1)

Scott Cooper
Defensive Line

Coach Cooper is beginning his 19th season with Garland High School.  Scott graduated from The University of Texas at Austin in 2004, where he majored in History and minored in Government.  He also received his Masters degree in Educational Administration from Lamar University in 2011.  He is a 2000 graduate of Tuloso-Midway High School in Corpus Christi, Texas. He and his wife Stefanie have three sons, Dane (13), Brock (11) & Kade (7).

Everett Daniels
Defensive Coordinator

Coach Daniels is a graduate of the University of Houston, where he played linebacker. He signed free agent deal with the Dallas Cowboys post graduation. He also received the honors of 2 time All conference while at Trinity Valley as well as being named a 2 time all district linebacker while at Sachse HS. he has been coaching for 7 years spending 5 at South Oak Cliff, 1 year at Mellisa HS and is entering his third year coaching at Garland. Coach Daniels has helped mentor 5 all state lbs as well as many college athletes. he is engaged to his fiance Shalexsis Willis and has three children Ryland, Rakeem and Easton

Zach Collins
Quarterbacks

​Coach Collins is entering his first year at GHS and third year overall of coaching. Zach is a 2013 graduate of Garland where he played both football and baseball. He earned his degree in Venture Management from the University of Oklahoma in 2017 while serving as a student employee with the football team. After graduation he became a graduate assistant for UNT later that year before spending 2 years at Berkner HS.
​

Bryan King
Defensive Backs

Coach King is in his seventh year at Garland High School. He coaches defensive backs.  A 2009 graduate of Martin High school, he participated in football and track. He attended Texas Tech University where he attained a degree in Multidisciplinary Sciences of Education. Coach King is also an assistant coach for the Garland Owl track team. He and his wife Elizabeth welcomed their first child, Olivia in March of 2022.

Bryan Larned
Offensive Line

​Coach Larned is starting his 1st year at Garland High School and his 20th season of coaching football.  A 1998 graduate of Plano East Senior High, Coach Larned went on to start at Strong Tackle for 4 seasons at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, where he earned his B.S. in Exercise and Sports Science(’03).  He began his coaching career serving 2 years as a student assistant at UMHB.  After another 2 years spent as a graduate assistant coach at Central Methodist University in Missouri, Coach Larned received his Masters Degree in Secondary Education (’07).  Returning to Texas in 2007, Coach Larned has served as an offensive line coach or offensive coordinator in several schools over the past 15 years.  He comes to GHS from Lebanon Trail High School in Frisco.  Coach Larned and his wife Amanda have 4 children: Christian (18), Alecia (16), Hailey (6), and Bailey (6).

Matt Maxwell
Running Backs

Coach Maxwell was born and raised in Garland he is a 2003 graduate of Garland High School. He attended McPherson College in McPherson, KS on a football scholarship and graduated with a degree in Kinesiology in 2007. After graduation from McPherson, he coached running backs during the 2007 football season. Coach Maxwell is entering his seventh year at Garland and his fifteenth year overall. Prior to Garland, Coach Maxwell coached for five years in Wylie ISD at both Wylie High and Wylie East and three years at Wichita Falls High School. Coach Maxwell and his wife Stephanie have two amazing children Hallie (16) and Peyton (19).

Kyle Sanders
Offensive Coordinator

Coach Sanders is in his seventh year at Garland High School after serving as the Offensive Coordinator at West Mesquite.  He is a 1996 graduate of Monahans High School.  He attended Texas Tech University and completed his B.A. in History in 2000, and his Masters in Sport Psychology in 2002.  While at Tech, Coach Sanders started at Center and Guard and played in 3 Bowl Games for the Red Raiders under coaches Spike Dykes and Mike Leach.  Coach Sanders began his coaching career at Texas Tech from 2000 to 2002 and coached in the 2001 Alamo Bowl.  In 22 years of coaching he has been the offensive coordinator at Caddo Mills, Sachse, and Royse City and has coached at Wylie East.  Coach Sanders and his wife Jo Anna have two children- Dylan (19) and Skylar (11).

Victor Picon
Offensive Line

​This is Coach Picon’s 7th year at GHS and he is coaching Offensive Line and teaching Spanish.  He is a graduate of McMurry University (class of 2001) were he played offensive guard and received 1st Team All-Conference honors.  Coach Picon coached at Galena Park Middle School for 9 years and at Bryan HS for 4 years.  He is married to Maria D. Rojas (Garland HS class of 97) and has 4 children: Carolina (5) Rebecca (6), Rosalie (13), Victor (16), and Victoria (21) a Garland High graduate.

Freshmen Coaches

Danny Davis
Head FR Coach

​Danny Davis begins 18th year coaching and his 12th at GHS. His previous coaching stops include Kopperl High School, Bussey Middle School, and Community High School. He is a graduate of Richardson High School and Texas A&M University with a degree in Physics. He and his wife Cortney are raising a son, Rhyne, and a daughter, Fiona.

Jeff Caddell
WR/LB

​Coach Caddell is incredibly excited to start his coaching career off at Garland Highschool, The Original! He was born to military parents and spent much of his life overseas. He graduated from Rockwall Heath highschool in 2015 and attended Texas A&M for four years, before transferring to SNHU in 2019 and earning his bachelor's degree in New Media Communication in 2020. After working in the College Station ISD's DAEP department for a year, Coach Caddell found his passion for helping to inspire and improve the lives of our next generation of student athletes. He coaches Wide Receivers and Linebackers.

Nathan Heckelman
​WR/DB

​Coach Heckelman is entering his first year at Garland High School. He graduated from Bluffton University in Ohio with a Bachelors degree in Math Education. Coach Heckelman also played basketball while attending Bluffton. He previously taught and coached while living in Ohio for the past 7 years

Tatom Thomas
​QB/DB

Coach Thomas is entering his second year at GHS having graduated from The University of North Texas with a Bachelors in Accounting. He also played baseball at Wayland Baptist University. Coach Thomas is happily married with two twin girls.

Anthony Woodson
OL/DL

Coach Woodson is entering his second ear at GHS and sixth year in coaching. He spent the previous 5 years at DeSoto.  Coach Woodson played defensive tackle at Missouri State University were he graduated with a degree in Sociology.  

Johnny McCoy
 Track Coach

​Coach McCoy is beginning his 16th year as the Boy’s Track Coach. The Owls finished sixth at the state track meet in 2007 and second in the state track meet in 2006 and Coach McCoy was named the Dallas Morning News Track Coach of the Year. He led the Owls to the Regional Championship in 2004 and a sixth place finish in the state. He was the assistant girl’s track coach for the previous twelve years. Coach McCoy played football and ran track for GHS. He was the anchor leg on the 1977 State Champion 4X100 relay team. He was also a candidate for the 1980 US Olympic team. He played professional football in the Canadian and United States Football Leagues. In 2008, Coach McCoy was elected to the Garland Sports Hall of Fame. Johnny and his wife Starla have four children. Monique, Tommy, Johnnica, and Johnny, Jr. (J.J.). 

Bill Brooks
Trainer

Coach Brooks is entering his 14th year in GISD. This is his fourth year at GHS after having worked 10 years at Naaman Forest. He is a veteran athletic trainer and has worked with two NFL teams during his career, Atlanta Falcons and the Cincinnati Bengals. Coach Brooks attended Garland High School. He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Southwestern Louisiana and a Masters from Georgia State University. He is married to Donise and they have a son, Hamilton, who played on the 2006 Semi-final team

David Baker
Trainer

​Coach Baker is beginning his 44rd yr in GISD.  Coach Baker is a graduate of Austin College with grad work including SMU, DBU, USOC, NASM and TAMU-Commerce.  He received a Masters of Education from TAMU/C and has 48yrs of experience in athletic training, including work @ SMU, GHS, Lakeview Centennial, Rowlett HS, and North Garland HS.  Mike is married to Becky Cowan-Baker, they have two children Christopher and Jennifer and granddaughter Sofee Jo.