Joe Galat

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Joe Galat was born in Painesville, Ohio and has extensive experience in professional football as a player, coach, general manager, broadcaster, and youth executive.^[1] He is best known as a former college and professional football coach who starred at Miami University (Ohio) as a player. In addition to an extensive college coaching career, Joe has coached in the National Football League as a coach with the New York Giants and Houston Oilers, as well as in Canada. Joe Galat also worked as a national color commentator for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) in Canada.^[2] He is the president of American Youth Football & Cheer. Established in 1996, the organization currently operates in 44 states and has more than 250,000 documented participants.^[3]

[edit] Playing and Coaching Career

After playing for Harvey High School in Painesville, Ohio, Joe Galat attended Miami University (Ohio) where he captained both the Miami Redskins football and wrestling teams. The university known as the ‘Cradle of Coaches’ remains today a member of the Mid-American Conference.^[4] Joe Galat was inducted to the Miami Redhawks Hall of Fame^[5]. After graduation in 1962 Galat’s football apprenticing would continue under the legendary coaching trio of Bo Schembechler, Carmen Cozza, and John McVay (Vice-President of the San Francisco 49ers who collaborated with 49ers head coach Bill Walsh in one of the most successful dynasties in NFL history) tallying five Super Bowl victories.

After a tour as an assistant coach in the NCAA at Yale University, Miami University, University of Kentucky and for the NFL’s New York Giants and Houston Oilers, the Painesville native was hired as Head Coach and General Manager of the Montreal Alouettes in the Canadian Football League by then owner George Allen^[6]. In the hockey crazed province of Quebec Galat hired the first French Canadian coach in CFL history, Mr. Jacques Dussault^[7]. Galat and Dussault initiated clinics to teach and motivate the game of football in the province of Quebec.

[edit] Giving Back

With his time spent coaching and managing professional and college football teams, Galat volunteered some of his time to attend youth football league functions. When he became president of American Youth Football, Galat’s strategy became simple: change the rules and traditions of the game creating unlimited weight divisions and restrict older kids from playing younger age kids. The National Football League works with AYF as a National Youth Football on making the game better for the kids^[8]. New England Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss is also giving back to the game as a spokesperson for AYF.^[9] While returning to Montreal for his Daughter’s admission to McGill University in 1999, Galat was asked by John Gilman, founder and former Chief Executive Officer of FieldTurf, to help introduce the upstart company called FieldTurf, a replication of a grass sports field. Galat called on many NFL and Major College football coaches and general managers. The results of independent research proved that FieldTurf was a safer and more durable surface than a good natural grass field^[10]. In addition to his Presidential duties with American Youth Football, Joe Galat currently holds the title of Vice-President of Sales at FieldTurf Tarkett^[11].

[edit] References