In four seasons as the head coach of the Albany State Golden Rams Coach Gabe Giardina achieved a record of 30-14. Won the 2021 SIAC Conference championship, won the 2021 SIAC coach of the year and claimed three straight SIAC Eastern Division titles. The Rams went 10-1 in the 2021 regular season and earned a #4 Regional Ranking in region 2 and an NCAA Playoff birth. Coach G has had 22 ALL SIAC Selections over those four seasons, with seven coming in 2021. In 2021 the Dirty Blue defense was the number one scoring defense and total defense in all of division 2 football. In fact no one across any division of college football allowed less points than the 6.8 points per game than the Dirty Blue defense allowed. The defense also pitched 7 defensive shut outs. At the end of the season junior Linebacker Stephan Pierre was chosen as the SIAC Conference player of the year and the overall HBCU Defensive Player of the year in Division 2.
As a result of such an outstanding season Giardina was selected by HBCU Legacy Bowl founders Doug Williams and Shack Harris to be a Co-Head Coach of the Eddie Robinson Team in the 2022 Legacy Bowl all star game in New Orleans. Going into the 2022 season Albany State has 13 pre-season SIAC honorees, including preseason conference offensive player of the year Dionte Bonneau. Coach G has also seen the program grow off the field as the team has on two different occasions lead the athletic department in volunteer hours. Coach G has also seen great success in the class room with 10 Golden Rams in the fall of 2022 already in graduate school while finishing their playing careers at Albany State.
Under Giardina, 15 players have garnered All-SIAC honors since 2017, while kicker Gabriel Ballinas was named All-American in 2019.
Coach G came to Albany State after the most successful four year run in the history of Charleston Southern University football. As the offensive Coordinator at Charleston Southern, he was a part of a staff that amassed 35 wins, two Big South Conference championships and two FCS playoff bids over a four year span. The Bucs also gained national prominence by playing in the FCS Kickoff Classic against North Dakota State on ESPN and advanced to the third round of the playoffs vs Jacksonville State which was featured on ESPN2 in 2015.
In 2016, CSU repeated as Big South champion and earned a spot in the FCS Playoffs for the second straight year. Giardina's offense was played an integral as the Bucs led nation in yards per play on offense, averaging over 6.7 yards per play. They led the Big South in yards per rush (6.0) and ranked sixth nationally in rushing offense (266.5). CSU posted six outings of 30+ points and four performances of 500+ yards on offense. Giardina's offensive line was anchored by senior left tackle Erik Austell who wrapped his career with All-American honors from the Associated Press, the American Football Coaches Association and STATS FCS. Austell is currently a member of the Houston Texans
In addition to Austell, four other CSU offensive players earned All-Big South honors. They included offensive Guard Frank Cirone, running back Mike Holloway, who led the nation in yards per carry, and freshman wide receiver Kameron Brown, who topped the country in yards per catch.
Giardina's offense helped power CSU to an outright Big South Conference championship and the program's first-ever FCS playoff bid in 2015, a 10-3 record as well as a top 12 national ranking.
Giardina's offense thrived on an identity of running the football and clock management as CSU capped the season ranked 10th nationally in average time of possession, and 19th in rushing yardage. The trio of Darius Hammond, Mike Holloway and Ben Robinson powered the Bucs' running game. CSU also developed more balance behind second team All-Big South quarterback Austin Brown and a group of receivers led by fellow all-league selection Nathan Perera. CSU scored 30 or more points eight times, and went over the 40-point mark twice.
During the 2014 season, the Bucs led the country in time of possession for a second straight year, and ranked 16th in rushing offense at over 227 yards per game. CSU senior Christian Reyes posted another banner season and became the program's all-time leading rusher in just two seasons. Sophomores Mike Holloway and Ben Robinson enjoyed excellent campaigns as well, with Holloway's 100-plus yard performance in a near upset of Vanderbilt highlighting his year. UAB transfer Austin Brown emerged as the starting quarterback and played well in piloting an offense anchored in part by All-Big South selection, offensive guard, Clayton Truitt.
Giardina oversaw a Charleston Southern offense that helped the Bucs develop an identity during a historic 10-3 season in 2013. CSU led the country with an average time of possession of 33:44 behind a rushing attack which ranked 17th nationally at nearly 233 yards a game. Junior running back Christian Reyes served as the Bucs' workhorse, shattering the school's single-season rushing mark to finish with 1,254 yards. Giardina mentored a mostly young offensive line that gelled quickly and paved the way for Reyes and freshmen Ben Robinson and Holloway to turn in solid campaigns. The offensive line also continued to produce while playing with three different starting quarterbacks, including a pair of freshmen in Danny Croghan III and Kyle Copeland. Croghan went on to earn Big South Offensive Freshman of the Year honors.
Giardina returned to Charleston Southern after serving as Jamey Chadwell’s offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach at Delta State in 2012. He was also part of former Bucs’ head coach Jay Mills’ staff at CSU before leaving following the 2011 season to join Chadwell at DSU.
Offensively, Giardina guided the Statesmen to 377 yards and 24 points per game in 2012. DSU wide receiver Lavon Downs was named first team All-Gulf South and First Team All-Region in last season.
Coach G was the special teams coordinator and running backs coach at Charleston Southern from 2008-11. In his four seasons with the Bucs, CSU blocked six punts, had four kickoff returns for touchdowns and three punt returns TDs. His kickoff coverage teams ranked second in the Big South for three years and in led the Big South in net punting in 2011.
During his time at CSU, he coached six different players to All-Big South honors - Charles James and Antwan Ivey as punt returners, John Pagila as a placekicker, Andrew McKain and Mike Chocholousek as long snappers and Gerald Stephenson, who was an All-American kick returner in 2010. In 2008, Stephenson set an NCAA record for most kickoff return yards in a game, with 255, against Wofford.
In 2010, Giardina was promoted to assistant head coach by Mills. Giardina running back DeMarcus Moon, who is fifth in school history with 1,349 yards rushing and 4.5 yards per carry. In 2009, Giardina's backfield rushed for the second most yards in school history, culminating with a 145-yard performance by Antwan Ivey in a win against Coastal Carolina.
Giardina worked as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Alabama, from ’05-‘07. In 2005 he worked with special teams and saw return specialist Tyrone Prothro earn All-SEC honors, while kicker Jamie Christensen hit game-winning field goals against Ole Miss, Tennessee, and in the Cotton Bowl against Texas Tech.
In 2006, Giardina transitioned to the offensive line and over the next two seasons, saw linemen Antwan Caldwell and Andre Smith make first team All-SEC. Smith was the sixth overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals, while Caldwell was selected in the third round by the Houston Texans.
During his time at Alabama, Giardina worked for both Mike Shula and current Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban. Giardina also played for the Crimson Tide from 2000 until 2003. He appeared in nine games and earned Academic All-SEC honors in 2003.
Giardina is married to the former Wimberly Edwards from Greenville, Ala. She is a board certified Music Therapist and together they have three sons, Frank Foster , DeAra and Whitt.
