Jason Garrett '89: Princeton's First NFL Head Coach

On Thanksgiving day sixteen years ago, Princeton alum (and Dallas Cowboys backup quarterback) Jason Garrett '89 took over for an injured Troy Aikman and led the Cowboys to a stunning second-half comeback over the Green Bay Packers, 42-31.Now, the former Princeton quarterback will get a chance to try for a similar second-half turnaround, this time as a head coach. Garrett, the Cowboys' offensive coordinator, was named the interim head coach Monday after the team's brutal 1-7 start.Garrett is the first Princeton grad to become an NFL head coach (full list of Tigers past and present who made it to the NFL). The Cowboys had already made Garrett the highest paid coordinator in the game in 2008 with a contract worth roughly $3 million.Garrett was a two-year starter at Princeton, and his career 66.5% competition percentage is still the Ivy League record. He was named the Ivy League Player of the Year in 1988.His first game as a head coach won't be a easy, though - much to my roommate's delight, the hapless Cowboys take on the 6-2 Giants in New York on Sunday.