Giffard was raised in Illinois, where he attended MacMurray College from 1993 to 1997, and played for the school's soccer team as a goalkeeper.
During his final years at Westminster, Giffard enrolled for postgraduate studies at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).
Following his achievement, Giffard joined the UAB Blazers men's soccer program as an assistant to Mike Getman.
[1] Upon leaving UAB, Giffard served as volunteer for Indiana University before joining Caleb Porter and the Akron Zips men's soccer program.
During Giffard's time as an assistant to Porter, the Zips had a 23–1–1 season, and won the 2010 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship, beating Louisville.