I'm not much of a golfer but I like to watch it on TV. When I'm watching the action, I usually say, 'Those guys are really good!’  I met a 78-year old man who watches golf who says, 'Hey, I could have been one of those guys!”

That man is Jan Garrett, of Warren.  He started playing golf with his dad at the age of ten while growing up in Harrisburg.

"He would take me to Waring's Golf Course and we would play together.  I started to learn by watching guys that were good and I picked up different techniques,” says Jan.  

By ninth grade, Jan had begun playing in club tournaments and winning trophies.  He became a fine high school golfer and graduated with a magnificent high school record.

"47-7 and 2,” declares Jan. “Four of those losses were my freshman year.  So I learned and learned and learned." 

Jan had a big decision to make after that wonderful high school career.  His dad was approached by a representative of a large company that makes golf equipment.

"And he said to my dad, 'We would like to put your son on the pro tour in the summer and pay for all his expenses,” remembers Jan.

According to Jan, the company wanted to take over 90 percent of his winnings. So Jan decided to play college golf at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

"We had a great team.  We had 13 scratch golfers that could beat each other at any time,” says Jan.

That team won a national championship in 1968. Again, Jan had a decision to make about golf as a career. He chose teaching instead. His first job being at East Forest High School in Marienville.  A year later, the principal at Warren High offered Jan a job to teach Drivers Ed. Jan will always remember the principal’s phone call.

"And he said, 'Do you know anything about golf?’  I said, 'Well yeah,” says Jan with a laugh.  

The rest is Warren sports history.  Jan coached golf.  He also coached junior high basketball for 13 years.  Girls varsity basketball for 10 years, and varsity baseball for 6 years.  He also refereed basketball for 19 years. Jan Garrett.  Teacher and coach.  He loved his students and ball players.  He has no regrets about not joining the pro tour.

Jan's name will live forever in the game of golf...at least at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.  Jan and his teammates from 1968 were recently inducted in that school's sports hall of fame.