[2] McGarvey played college basketball at Ursinus he finished fourth on the school's all-time scoring list and was a two-time Centennial Conference Player of the Year in 2005 and 2006.
[5] After graduating, McGarvey joined his alma mater's coaching staff for five seasons, where he was part of Ursinus' 2008 NCAA Division III Final Four team.
In February of 2023, Jordan was placed on paid leave due to a complaint filed against him and McGarvey was named the interim head coach.
[9] During his time as an interim head coach, McGarvey guided the Leopards to a 2–3 record, which included two wins in the 2023 Patriot League conference tournament, as Lafayette reached the championship game before falling to Colgate 79–61.
The interim tag was lifted and McGarvey became the permanent head coach at Lafayette.