AWARDS & ACCOLADES
2014 Mountain East Conference Coach of the Year
2011 WVIAC Coach of the Year
BIO
Garin Justice was hired as the Mustangs' offensive line coach and run game coordinator in December 2021, and was elevated to assistant head coach in February 2023 and then co-offensive coordinator in the spring of 2024.
Justice arrived on the Hilltop after spending the 2020 and 2021 seasons at Miami with Mustang Head Coach Rhett Lashlee.
Justice’s offensive line anchored another powerful offensive attack in 2024, with the Mustangs at an elite level, averaging 36.5 points a game on the year, the seventh highest average for a season in program history despite moving up to a power conference.
The 511 points scored in 2024 were third most in program history. The line also opened up the running game, finishing with eight games with at least 150 yards rushing on the year. SMU’s 29 rushing touchdowns tied for third most in program history for a single season.
SMU again ranked in the top 25 in FBS in scoring offense (9th), first downs offense (10th), team passing efficiency (20th) and sacks allowed (24th). The Mustangs had several members along the line earn accolades for their play, with Jakai Clark (first team), Logan Parr (third team), PJ Williams (third team) and Justin Osborne (honorable mention) earning All-ACC honors from the conference.
He was responsible for an SMU offensive line that was dominant in 2023, resulting in the Mustangs capturing their first conference championship since 1984 and 12th overall as a program. It was the first outright conference title won by the school since 1982. SMU rolled to a record of 11-3, highlighted by going undefeated in its final season in the American Athletic Conference (AAC) with an 8-0 mark.
The Mustangs earned their fifth straight year of bowl eligibility, the longest stretch in program history and finished ranked 22nd in the AP Poll, the first time finishing in the final poll since 1984.
Justice's unit played a crucial part in the offense being one of the most explosive in all of college football, finishing ranked in the top in the FBS in first down offense (6th), passing offense (22nd), passing yards, passing yards per completion (12th), red zone offense (8th), sacks allowed (13th), scoring offense (8th), tackles for loss allowed (9th) and total offense (16th).
The West Virginia native's coaching style led to numerous accolades for his linemen, highlighted by the entire starting offensive line of Marcus Bryant (first team), Justin Osborne (first team), Logan Parr (first team), Branson Hickman (second team) and Hyrin White (honorable mention), all earning AAC All-Conference honors. Osborne was also selected to the first team with Dave Campbell's Texas Football All-Texas Team, while Bryant, Hickman and Parr notched second-team honors.
SMU's 542 points were second most points scored in program history, with the 29 rushing touchdowns ranking third most ever for a single season and the 33 passing touchdowns place fifth all-time for a single season in program history.
Justice led an offensive line that helped the Mustangs rank among the top FBS teams in passing and red zone offense (7th), scoring offense (12th) and total offense (14th). Justice’s group enabled starting QB Tanner Mordecai to average over 293 passing yards per game, good enough for 11th in the nation. On the ground, the blocking up front allowed SMU to rush for more than 156 yards per game, and at a rate of over four yards per attempt. The Mustang rushing attack contributed 26 rushing touchdowns and over 2,000 yards on the ground.
SMU’s 4,117 passing yards and 331 first downs set program marks, while the 36 passing TDs and total plays (1,005) rank second. The 2022 squad also posted top-three program marks in scoring (3rd, 484), passing ypg (3rd, 316.7), completion % (3rd, 64.9), completions (2nd, 333), total offense (3rd, 6147) and first downs - passing (3rd, 174).
A pair of Mustangs earned All-American Athletic Conference as Justin Osborne was a second-team selection and Jaylon Thomas earned honorable mention accolades.
In 2020, the Hurricanes jumped to No. 32 in FBS in total offense (from No. 98), No. 29 in passing offense (from No. 52), No. 26 in scoring offense (from No. 90), No. 17 in red zone offense (from No. 122) and No. 20 in first downs gained offense (from No. 84). The 2021 season saw a pair of Justice's offensive linemen earn All-ACC honors.
Prior to his time with the Hurricanes, Justice spent two seasons at UNLV responsible for the offensive line and run game before being promoted to offensive coordinator/offensive line coach. The 2019 season saw two offensive linemen (Julio Garcia, Justin Polu) earn All-Mountain West Conference recognition while running back Charles Williams, Jr., was named first-team All-Mountain West.
Justice spent two seasons as offensive line coach at FAU (2016-17) where he helped lead the 2017 team to top-10 national rankings for scoring offense (40.6) and rushing offense (285.3), while ranking 12th for fewest sacks allowed (16). They finished the season with an 11-3 record, a Conference USA Championship and a win at the Boca Raton Bowl. Three of his linemen earned All-C-USA first-team honors in 2017, blocking for Devin Singletary, who became the program's first AP All-American and set the Owls' single-season rushing record with 1,920 yards. In 2016, the Owls had a record-setting rushing attack under Justice despite losing four projected starters in the first three weeks of the season.
Justice served as head coach at Concord University (West Virginia) from 2011-15, going 40-17, including a 13-1 record in 2014. He led the program to a pair of conference championships and two NCAA Division II playoff appearances. During his five seasons, 84 student-athletes earned all-conference honors, eight picked up All-America accolades, two were named defensive WVIAC Players of the Year and 18 were named to all-region teams.
He began his coaching career as a student assistant and graduate assistant at West Virginia working with the offensive line. He also spent two seasons as an offensive graduate assistant at Florida State.
Justice earned his Regents Bachelor of Arts degree at West Virginia in 2006, and went on to earn a Master's of Sports Administration from Florida State in 2008. He was a three-year starter on the Mountaineers' offensive line and served as team captain for the 11-1 2005 squad that won the Sugar Bowl and earned a No. 5 ranking to close the season. Justice earned All-Big East honors and was a Sporting News Second-Team All-American.
He and wife, Casie Coughlin Justice, have one daughter, Juliet.
