The Georgia State football program welcomed two new faces to its staff as head coach Bill Curry hired Craig Harmon as tight ends coach and Sarah Gigantino as director of football operations. The addition of Harmon and Gigantino completes the coaching staff, which is preparing for the team’s inaugural game this September.
Harmon comes to Georgia State after spending four years as an offensive and recruiting coordinator at University of St. Francis, an NAIA program in Joliet, Ill. Prior to that, Harmon was a two-year graduate assistant at Northern Illinois, where he worked with current Georgia State offensive coordinator John Bond. During Harmon’s tenure at Northern Illinois, the Huskies claimed a share of the Mid-American Conference West Division title for two consecutive years.
Before joining Northern Illinois, he spent two years as a graduate assistant coaching running backs and defensive backs at Quincy (Ill.) University.
Harmon’s ties to Northern Illinois go back to his collegiate days as a player; where he was a quarterback for the Huskies before transferring to Quincy. While at Quincy, he earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education followed by a master’s degree in education administration.
“Craig is a bright young coach with very good experience in all the areas that we need,” said Curry. “At St. Francis he was the offensive coordinator and he was also the recruiting coordinator part of his time there. Before that, he was a graduate assistant under John Bond at Northern Illinois, so he knows our system. And he played the quarterback position. He could coach anywhere on offense.”
Gigantino joins the Georgia State football staff after three years as director of operations at conference rival Northeastern, which abruptly ended its football program at the end of the 2009 season.
Before that, she worked in the athletics department at Maryland, as well as the Campus Recreation Center at Georgia Tech. Gigantino also boasts an internship with the New York Jets’ college scouting department.
Gigantino earned her bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and sport management from James Madison in 2004, which she followed up with a master’s degree in sports administration from Georgia State in 2006.
“We had a number of strong candidates for this position, but Sarah really stood out,” said Curry. “She went to a CAA school at James Madison and worked with the football program there. She got her master’s degree from Georgia State University while she worked at my alma mater, the Georgia Institute of Technology. Then she handled football operations at Northeastern, another CAA school. And she’s a coach’s kid; her father is the defensive coordinator at Bryant University.”
With its staff now complete, the football program will direct its focus toward spring practice on March 17 as the Panthers prepare for their inaugural season this year, which kicks off Sept. 2 versus Shorter at the Georgia Dome.
Harmon, Gigantino added to Georgia State football staff
Newest additions complete football team’s coaching staff before the beginning of 2010 inaugural seas
Published: Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Updated: Tuesday, February 23, 2010
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Craig Harmon join the football staff as tight ends coach. He and Sarah Gigantino round out the football program’s coaching team months before the team’s first game.
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Sarah Gigantino join the football staff as director of football operations, respectively. She and Craig Harmon round out the football program’s coaching team months before the team’s first game.
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