It did not take Gary Harrell long to put his stamp on the Howard
University football program. Using a slogan “The Road
To Redemption” Harrell was able to turn the Bison’s
fortunes around by leading them to a 5-6 mark. It was
significant because the win total exceeded the total number of
victories the three previous season combined. Harrell was among the
finalists for the Eddie Robinson Award, presented to the top coach
in FCS and the MEAC Coach of the Year.
The Miami, Fla. native is no stranger to coaching at Greene
Stadium, making his career debut as the Bison wide receivers coach
in 2002. After two seasons with Howard, Harrell had coaching stints
at Texas Southern (2004-2006) and Florida A&M (2006-2008) as
the wide receivers coach. He continued his matriculation
towards a head coaching job by serving as the quarterbacks coach at
Morgan State University (2008-2009) and the wide receivers coach
for Team Michigan, a member of the All-American Football League
(2008). Prior to being named the head coach at his alma mater,
Harrell completed two seasons as the offensive coordinator for
Bowie State University’s football team.
Affectionately known as “The Flea,” Harrell was a
fan favorite for his calculating and precise on-the-field exploits.
He is the all-time leading receiver in school history and ranks
among the tops in MEAC history. He also holds the season record for
punt returns (29) and return yards in a season (417). Harrell was a
four-year letter winner at Howard University. “Howard has a
strong legacy of achievement,” Harrell said. “Every
member of Howard University football accepts the responsibility of
representing the program with dignity and pride on and off the
field.”
As a starter for Howard’s undefeated 1993 team, Harrell
and his teammates won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
championship and were crowned the Black National College champions.
He set the benchmark for wide receivers at Howard and holds the
school record for most receptions in a game (13) and in a career
(184).
Harrell made his professional debut in the National Football
League with the New York Giants (1994-96), followed by a season for
the World League’s Frankfurt Galaxy (1996) and two seasons in
the Canadian Football league with the Montreal Alouettes
(1996-97).
Harrell is a 1994 graduate of Howard University with a degree in
marketing. He was inducted into the Howard University Hall of Fame
in November 2005 and received a proclamation from the City of Miami
declaring it Gary “Flea” Harrell Day. Harrell attended
the Miami Northwestern High School.
