Coach Garin Higgins is Building a Hornet Football Legacy

A Spotlight on Hornet Football

With 148-86 record in 20 seasons as a collegiate head football coach with a 97-77 record in 15 seasons at his alma mater Head football coach Garin Higgins (BS 92-Psychology) ranks second in career wins at Emporia State. Higgins is just 18 wins behind Fran Welch, quarterback and later head coach for Kansas State Teachers College (1924-1954), whose name is on the football stadium at Emporia State University to honor his legacy, which includes 115 wins in 23 seasons as the Hornets’ head coach.

"Coaching in the MIAA, the best Division II conference in the country, is a true test. Coaching at my alma mater is a dream come true." said Higgins.

This season Higgins led Emporia State to a 9-3 record capped by winning the Farmers Bank & Trust Live United Bowl. It is the ninth nine-win season in Emporia State's 124 seasons of playing football, and Higgins has been the head coach for five of them. The Hornets were 11th in the nation in passing yards this season and ranked 20th in the nation in total offense, leading the MIAA in both categories. Defensively Emporia State allowed just 21.2 points per game, the lowest per game average since allowing 18.1 points per game in the 2003 season.

He is the 21st head football coach at Emporia State, was the first to lead the Hornets to ten wins in two different seasons and has done it in three seasons with three different quarterbacks. He has coached in more postseason games than any one in Emporia State history. He took his alma mater deeper into the NCAA Division II playoffs than ever before in 2015 as ESU advanced to the Super Region 3 Championship Game. In 2013, he became just the second coach to take the Hornets to the NCAA Playoffs and is one of just six Emporia State coaches to take the Hornets to a post-season game of any type.

He led the Hornets to within just one game of a post season berth in 2010 and 2011 before winning the Kanza Bowl in 2012 and was one win away in 2017. He joins Larry Kramer, Fran Welch and Bill Hargis as the only Emporia State coaches to have a span of four straight winning seasons.

Higgins is about more than just wins though.

"Coach Higgins has a proven record as a football coach, but as I have come to know him over this past season, it became evident that he is someone who cares a great deal about his players and Emporia State while managing all aspects of the program the right way" said Emporia State Director of Athletics David Spafford. “All of these factors played a role in providing Coach Higgins the first multi-year contract in Emporia State Athletics history. Along with upcoming investments in our facilities and the overall program, this is a direct reflection of our commitment to building a first-class athletic program that Hornet fans can be proud of for years to come."

The Hornets have been ranked in the top 10 among all Division II Football programs for their community service as recorded by the NCAA Helper Helper Report in each of the last five years, and won the community service "national championship" in 2021. In the classroom, Emporia State student-athletes have had a team GPA over a 3.0 for the last six semesters, and 15 straight semesters with at least a 2.75 team GPA. Last semester the football program achieved an overall team GPA of 3.10, while 50 players were recognized on the MIAA Academic Honor Roll, with a conference-high six players earning MIAA ScholarAthlete status for being named All-MIAA and having a 3.50 GPA. Emporia State has had eight Academic All-Americans under Higgins and is the only MIAA football program with an Academic All-American in each of the last seven seasons.

The combination of success on the field, in the classroom and in the community has translated to the turnstiles as Emporia State was ranked 22nd in the nation in average attendance last season. It was the 10th straight year the Hornets have finished in the top 40 nationally in attendance.

"We will continue to work hard each and every day to not only win football games but also to help our student-athletes grow and be successful in life," said Higgins.