After nine years in the coaching realm, Sam Garza entered the personnel arena as a pro scout with the Cowboys in 2005. In 2008 he moved over to the College Scouting Department, serving as the southwest area scout (2008-09, 2012-20), west coast scout (2010-11), then mid-south in 2021. As a pro scout, he worked closely with then Assistant Director of Pro Scouting Brian Gaine in evaluating players around the NFL and NFL Europe, as well as the Canadian Football League and the Arena Football League.

After nine years in the coaching realm, Sam Garza entered the personnel arena as a pro scout with the Cowboys in 2005. In 2008 he moved over to the College Scouting Department, serving as the southwest area scout (2008-09, 2012-20), west coast scout (2010-11), then mid-south in 2021. As a pro scout, he worked closely with then Assistant Director of Pro Scouting Brian Gaine in evaluating players around the NFL and NFL Europe, as well as the Canadian Football League and the Arena Football League.

Garza came to Dallas after serving as the running backs and quarterbacks coach for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the CFL in 2004. Prior to returning to Canada, he was the quarterbacks coach at the University of Texas-El Paso for four years (2000-03). In 1998 Garza was the receivers coach for Saskatchewan before being promoted to quarterbacks/receivers coach in 1999. He began his coaching career at his alma mater as UTEP's defensive graduate assistant in 1996 before moving to wide receivers coach in 1997.

Garza was selected in the eighth round by the Seattle Seahawks in 1987 as a quarterback but spent the season with the St. Louis Cardinals, seeing action in two games. He spent seven years in the CFL - six with Winnipeg (1989-94) and one with Ottawa (1995).

Collegiately, Garza was one of the most prolific passers in UTEP history where he ranked second in completions (483) and completion percentage (59.1%) and fourth in attempts (817), passing yards (6,130) and touchdown passes (35).

A native of Corpus Christi, Garza received his bachelor's degree in kinesiology from UTEP in 1995. He and wife Barbara have three sons, Callen, Shane and Jack, and a daughter, Hailey.