‘This is where my heart is taking me’ - A.J. Garrow follows his father on BV Lynx football sidelines

When Brandon Valley’s all-time winningest football coach, Chad Garrow, died last year, it left a void for many. Obviously, his family took the brunt of the burden.

For his son A.J., trying to fill the void left after his father’s death came from the Lynx sideline as he joined the BV coaching staff as a wide receiver coach. That position brought highs and lows over the 10 games.

“It was such a good transition year for me for my first year to be under his staff,” A.J. said. “I hear all these stories about him. It made me closer to him, even though he’s gone. I got to learn how he operated. I heard things like that during the time of the funeral and beforehand, but now I got to experience where he was at and what he did first hand. I’ve learned this year how my dad would have handled things.”

Although clearly a bit of a healing process for A.J. to be on the sidelines and in coaching meetings this season, it also came with some heartache. There were many nights, he said, where he cried on his drive home after games, wishing his dad was still around.

“I was wishing I could call him and ask for advice,” he said. “I was just with my thoughts, but that’s part of the grieving process and moving on. I guess those moments are necessary.”

Ironically, the coaching profession wasn’t one that A.J. initially sought. He played wide receiver for his father at Brandon Valley, and then four years at the University of Sioux Falls where he compiled 49 catches for 466 yards.

After receiving a degree in sports management and criminal justice from USF, Garrow stayed away from the sidelines.

However, he always had the itch and four years ago he asked his dad if he could join his staff at Brandon Valley.

“His response was ‘no,’” A.J. said. “He wanted me to go out and experience other staffs other than what I was comfortable with. It was a good idea for him to do that, but it just wasn’t in the cards for me to coach at that point anyway.”

But it seemed only a matter of time before A.J. found himself on the sidelines with a headset. He comes from a long line of successful coaches. Along with his father setting the standard at Brandon Valley, his grandfather is former USF head coach Bob Young. Young is the winningest coach in USF history and led the Cougars to the 1996 NAIA national championship.

A.J. said that blood line, along with his enjoyment of being around kids and his love of football, helped him make the decision to join the Lynx this past season.

 “Any way I can mentor kids and spread the wealth of knowledge that I’ve learned all these years, I wanted to do that,” he said. “The passing of dad helped that. It kind of pushed me in that direction.”

That nudge was heightened after his father’s passing when the Brandon Valley coaching staff encouraged him to join them. Days after Chad’s funeral, the family and coaches gathered for a celebration of life where they could share stories and mourn. It was at that get-together when the idea was first introduced.

“All the coaches were saying, ‘If you want to join the staff we’d love to have you,’” A.J. said. “Couple months later I was still thinking about it. I knew it would be a big career move for me because I’d have to step down from a full-time position at Scheels (Sporting Goods). (Coach Mike) Zerr talked to me about it again and I was like ‘Yeah, I gotta do it. This is where my heart is taking me.’”

The 27-year-old said he’s considering going back and getting his teaching degree so he can dedicate to a potential full-time coaching career. He’s substitute teaching at Brandon Valley and working part time at Scheels in Sioux Falls.

He said the past season that he’s learned a lot from being on the sidelines. The 4 to 6 hour-Sunday meetings where coaches pour over video to prep for an upcoming opponent has also been an eye-opener.

There’s that, and also the stories he’s heard about his dad that have put a lump in his throat at times, and a drive to keep the coaching spirit alive with the Garrow name.

“Zerr will tell stories, or (assistant coach) Tim Sylliaasen will tell stories. Coach (Matt) Christensen was good with putting his arm around my shoulder and gave me good lessons about trying to gain an edge,” A.J. said. “That makes me miss him more. I want to be like him and I’m wanting to take those footsteps and be like that.”

The end of the season in the quarterfinals against Sioux Falls Lincoln was a bummer for everyone associated with the Brandon Valley football program. For A.J., it cemented even further the desire in his gut to continue the tradition.

“I hate losing more than I love winning, so I’m definitely still thinking about that game and what I could have done to help our guys be more prepared,” he said. “After we lost the playoff game, I was thinking this was the year I wanted to dedicate to my dad, and it’s over. I wish he was here. But I’m excited to be in Brandon to hopefully keep this tradition rolling.”