Servite High School is proud to announce the hiring of Rick Garretson ‘74 as head football coach. Garretson brings nearly 40 years of experience to the Friars, having dedicated the majority of his adult life to coaching.

Athletic Director Matt Marrujo ‘07 shared, “We are thrilled to welcome Coach Garretson back to Servite. As an experienced head coach, he brings the leadership, vision, and commitment necessary to build upon our strong foundation and guide our student-athletes to continued success. As an alumnus, former teacher, and coach, he deeply understands our mission and the vital role coaches play in forming faith-filled leaders. The combination of his professional experience and deep-rooted connection to Servite makes him the perfect fit to lead our young men moving forward.”

Most recently, Coach Garretson served as the head coach at Chandler High School in Arizona from 2019-2024, leading the Wolves to Open Division Championships in 2019 and 2020 while putting together a 46-game win streak spanning 2018-2021. Prior to his tenure as head coach, he had stints as the offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach, and wide receivers coach dating back to 2010. In that time, the team won four Arizona State Championships and two ESPN Geico Bowl titles. 

Garretson shared, "I’d like to thank the Servite Administration for giving me the opportunity to represent and lead the Servite Football program. I’m looking forward to attacking the challenges and making the most of the opportunities that exist in the Trinity League and continuing the tradition that makes Servite Football and Servite High School so special."

Following the 2019 and 2020 seasons, when Garretson led Chandler to back-to-back undefeated seasons for the first time in school history, he was named Coach of the Year by eight different organizations, including MaxPreps AZ and the AZ Coaches Association in 2019 and the Arizona Cardinals and National Football Foundation in 2020.  In addition, he was selected as an All-American Bowl Assistant Coach and bestowed the City of Chandler Legendary Coaches Award in 2023. 

“Coach Garretson is a proven leader with a track record of developing his players to be successful both on and off the field,” said Servite President Stephen Walswick ‘02.  “As an alumnus, he understands the importance of preparing young men not only to achieve in high school, but also to inspire them to accomplish extraordinary things throughout their lives. We look forward to welcoming him home to Servite as our new head football coach.“

Prior to his time at Chandler, Garretson coached at Servite from 1989 to 2004, working as the Pass Game Coordinator then OC from 1995-2004. A Friar himself, Garretson was an All-CIF selection his senior year before going on to compete at San Diego State.

Servite High School welcomes Coach Garretson, his wife Wendy, and three children back to the Friar family.