Gary Harrell

{{Short description|American gridiron football player and coach (born 1972)}}

{{Infobox college coach

| name = Gary Harrell

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| current_title = Running backs coach

| current_team = Wyoming

| current_conference = MW

| current_record =

| contract =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1972|1|23}}

| birth_place = Miami, Florida, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| alma_mater =

| player_years1 = 1990–1993

| player_team1 = Howard

| player_years2 = 1994–1995

| player_team2 = New York Giants

| player_years3 = 1996

| player_team3 = Frankfurt Galaxy

| player_years4 = 1996

| player_team4 = Montreal Alouettes

| player_positions = Wide receiver

| coach_years1 = 2002–2003

| coach_team1 = Howard (WR)

| coach_years2 = 2004–2005

| coach_team2 = Texas Southern (WR)

| coach_years3 = 2006–2007

| coach_team3 = Florida A&M (WR)

| coach_years4 = 2008

| coach_team4 = Morgan State (QB)

| coach_years5 = 2009–2010

| coach_team5 = Bowie State (OC)

| coach_years6 = 2011–2016

| coach_team6 = Howard

| coach_years8 = 2017–2018

| coach_team8 = Florida Atlantic (WR)

| coach_years9 = 2019

| coach_team9 = Alabama State (AHC/RB)

| coach_years10 = 2020–2022

| coach_team10 = Jackson State (RB)

| coach_years11 = 2023–2024

| coach_team11 = Colorado (AHC/RB)

| coach_years12 = 2025–present

| coach_team12 = Wyoming (RB)

| overall_record = 20–36

| bowl_record =

| tournament_record =

| championships =

| awards =

| coaching_records =

}}

Gary Lamar Harrell, affectionately known as "The Flea," {{Cite web|last=Donaldson|first=Maxwell|title=5 things to know about Gary Harrell, Jackson State football's coach while Deion Sanders is out|url=https://www.clarionledger.com/story/sports/2021/10/22/5-things-know-gary-harrell-jackson-state-football-coach-while-deion-sanders-out/6117760001/|access-date=October 27, 2021|website=The Clarion-Ledger|language=en-US}}(born January 23, 1972) is an American college football coach at the University of Wyoming and former professional gridiron football player. He previously was the assistant head coach and running backs coach at the University of Colorado Boulder. Harrell was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL), World League of American Football (WLAF) and Canadian Football League (CFL) for three seasons during the 1990s.{{cite web |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/H/HarrGa20.htm |title=Gary Harrell NFL Football Statistics |publisher=Pro-Football-Reference.com |accessdate=July 14, 2012}} Harrell served two stints as the head football coach at Howard University in Washington, D.C. from 2011 to 2012 and 2014 to 2016, with a leave of absence in 2013. He joined the coaching staff at Alabama State University in January 2019, after a two-year stint under Lane Kiffin at Florida Atlantic University.

Playing career

=College=

Harrell was a four-year letter winner as a wide receiver and punt return specialist at Howard University in Washington, D.C. He started every game for Howard's 1993 team, which won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) title. Harrell holds the Howard record for most receptions in a game (13) and in a career (184). He was inducted into the Howard University Hall of Fame in November 2005, and also received a proclamation from the City of Miami declaring it Gary "Flea" Harrell Day. Prior to attending Howard, he was a varsity athlete at Miami Northwestern Senior High School in Miami.

=Professional=

Harrell played two seasons in the National Football League (NFL), seeing action in four games during the 1994 and 1995 seasons with the New York Giants. He also played one season, in 1996, for the World League's Frankfurt Galaxy if the World League of American Football (WLAF) and two seasons, from 1996 to 1997, in the Canadian Football League (CFL) with the Montreal Alouettes.

Coaching career

Harrell got his start in coaching at his alma mater, as Howard's wide receivers coach from 2002 to 2003. He served as wide receivers as Texas Southern University from 2004 to 2005 and then at Florida A&M University from 2006 to 2007. In 2008, Harrell was the quarterbacks coach at Morgan State University in Baltimore. While at Morgan State he also served as the wide receivers coach for Team Michigan, of the All American Football League (AAFL) in 2008. Harrell then spent to two seasons, from 2009 TO 2010, as the offensive coordinator at Bowie State University in Bowie, Maryland.

Harrell returned to Howard in 2011 as head football coach.{{Cite web|date=October 3, 2011|title=HBCU notebook (Oct. 5)|url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/7053748/howard-university-bison-bank-gary-harrell-new-coach|access-date=October 27, 2021|website=ESPN.com|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Howard not renewing Harrell's contract|url=https://www.foxsports.com/stories/college-football/howard-not-renewing-harrells-contract|access-date=October 27, 2021|website=FOX Sports|language=en-US}} In 2012, he was honored by the D.C. Touchdown Club as the Local College Coach of the Year at its inaugural awards dinner. Harrell took a leave of absence in 2013, but returned as Howard's head coach in 2014.{{Cite news|last=Detweiler|first=Eric|date=March 11, 2013|title=Howard University football coach Gary Harrell takes voluntary leave of absence|language=en-US|work=Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/howard-university-football-coach-gary-harrell-takes-voluntary-leave-of-absence/2013/03/11/3fc0482c-8a9a-11e2-8d72-dc76641cb8d4_story.html|access-date=October 27, 2021|issn=0190-8286}} In five seasons as Howard's head coach, Harrell compiled a record of 20–36 including a 7–4 mark in 2012.

Harrell joined Lane Kiffin's coaching staff at Florida Atlantic University in January 2017 as wide receivers coach. Under Harrell's tutelage, senior Kalib Woods was named the MVP of the 2017 Conference USA Football Championship Game. Willie Wright, a freshman, was the team's most consistent wideout and led the Owls with 56 catches and a total of six scores. Following the year, Wright earned a spot on the C-USA All-Freshman team.{{Cite web|last=Post|first=Jake Elman Special to The|title=FAU's Kiffin reportedly parts ways with WR coach Harrell|url=https://www.palmbeachpost.com/sports/20181125/faus-kiffin-reportedly-parts-ways-with-wr-coach-harrell|access-date=October 27, 2021|website=The Palm Beach Post|language=en}}{{Cite web|last=Sun-Sentinel|date=November 25, 2018|title=Florida Atlantic fires wide receivers coach Gary Harrell|url=http://www.chatsports.com/florida-atlantic-owls/a/source/florida-atlantic-fires-wide-receivers-coach-gary-harrell-14938793|access-date=October 27, 2021|website=www.chatsports.com|language=en}} In 2019, Harrell served as assistant head coach and running backs coach for at Alabama State University.

Harrell joined Jackson State University in November 2020 as the team's running backs coach under Deion Sanders. During the 2021 season, Harrell acted as interim head coach while Sanders recovered from foot surgery. The Tigers won all three games while Sanders was absent. Jackson State credits Sanders as the head coach of record for the entire 2021 season.{{cite news|last=Arend|first=Alek|title=Look: Deion Sanders Is Back On The Sideline For Jackson State's Game|url=https://thespun.com/college-football/look-deion-sanders-is-back-on-the-sideline-for-jackson-states-game|newspaper=The Spun by Sports Illustrated|date=November 20, 2021}}{{cite web |author= |title=NCAA Statistics |url=https://stats.ncaa.org/people/2423508 |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=December 27, 2021 }}

In December 2022, Harrell followed Sanders to the University of Colorado Boulder to be the assistant head coach and running backs coach for the Colorado Buffaloes.{{Cite web |title=Coach Prime Adds 10 To Football Staff|url=https://cubuffs.com/news/2022/12/20/coach-prime-adds-10-to-football-staff|access-date=December 24, 2022 |language=en}} In January 2025 it was announced that Harrell left the team. {{Cite web |url=https://coloradobuffaloeswire.usatoday.com/2025/01/18/running-backs-coach-gary-flea-harrell-colorado-staff/|title=Running backs coach Gary 'Flea' Harrell no longer on Colorado's staff|first=Harrison|last=Simeon|date=January 18, 2025|access-date=January 21, 2025|website=coloradobuffaloeswire}}

In April 2025, Harrell was announced as the running backs coach at the University of Wyoming. {{Cite web|title=Pokes Insider: Meet new Wyoming running backs coach Gary Harrell|url=https://gowyo.com/news/2025/4/14/pokes-insider-meet-new-wyoming-running-backs-coach-gary-harrell.aspx|date=April 14, 2025|access-date=April 16, 2025|website=Wyoming Athletics}}

Personal life

A native of Miami, Harrell earned a degree in marketing from Howard in 1994. He and his wife, Tenika, have two children: a daughter, Jasmine, and a son, Gary Jr., who also played football at Howard.

Head coaching record

{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = no }}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead

| name = Howard Bison

| conf = Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference

| startyear = 2011

| endyear = 2012

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 2011

| name = Howard

| overall = 5–6

| conference = 4–4

| confstanding = T–4th

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 2012

| name = Howard

| overall = 7–4

| conference = 6–2

| confstanding = 2nd

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead

| name = Howard Bison

| conf = Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference

| startyear = 2014

| endyear = 2016

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 2014

| name = Howard

| overall = 5–7

| conference = 3–5

| confstanding = T–7th

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 2015

| name = Howard

| overall = 1–10

| conference = 1–7

| confstanding = T–8th

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 2016

| name = Howard

| overall = 2–9

| conference = 2–6

| confstanding = 10th

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = Howard

| overall = 20–36

| confrecord = 16–24

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record End

| overall = 20–36

| bowls = no

| poll = no

| polltype =

| legend = no

}}

References

External links

[https://gowyo.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/gary-harrell/3237 Wyoming profile]
[https://cubuffs.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/gary-harrell/4044 Colorado profile]
[https://fausports.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/gary-harrell/160 Florida Atlantic profile]
{{Footballstats |nfl=gary-harrell |espn= |cbs= |yahoo= |si= |pfr=H/HarrGa20 |rotoworld= }}

Category:1972 births

Category:Living people

Category:American football wide receivers

Category:Canadian football wide receivers

Category:Alabama State Hornets football coaches

Category:Bowie State Bulldogs football coaches

Category:Colorado Buffaloes football coaches

Category:Florida A&M Rattlers football coaches

Category:Florida Atlantic Owls football coaches

Category:Frankfurt Galaxy players

Category:Howard Bison football coaches

Category:Howard Bison football players