Hired as part of an overhaul of the coaching staff just a few short months ago, the ex-Arsenal and Bournemouth player joined Norwich City as first-team coach at the start of an optimistic, long-term new project. He was on a journey to the Premier League, with Liam Manning at the helm.
Just 17 games later, the project has turned into a shipwreck, lonely and deserted after a crash that took place at 2x speed. But it still needs a leader until Manning's replacement can be found, and with Chris Hogg and James Krause also departed, that man, for now, is Garry.
The 42-year-old only joined City in the summer _(Image: PA)_
It's not an entirely new position for the 42-year-old. Although much of his career in senior management has been as part of the backroom staff, he was in charge of both the England under-17s and under-18s before joining Manning's former club Lommel in Belgium as an assistant.
When Arsenal legend Steve Bould was sacked he took over as caretaker in exactly the same way he has this week at Colney, although a two-month spell in charge ensued on that occasion. If he's in position for the same period at Carrow Road then sporting director Ben Knapper's abbreviated hiring process has gone disastrously, but nonetheless he's got experience of leadership.
That experience has added a lot to his coaching skillset, he says, and in many ways it echoes what's happening at Norwich.
"It was in January for seven games," he recalled on the [Pink Un Podcast](https://www.youtube.com/watch?ref=ed_direct) in July. "It was a really challenging situation for the club, where I was asked to step in as an interim manager. I really enjoyed the experience, and I think that ultimately I learned a lot through some of the challenges that we had to navigate.
"I felt that it gave me an opportunity to see it from another side, if you like, and I really, really enjoyed the experience. The context was that we had found ourselves in a really difficult spell and there were lots of different things going on.
"I really enjoyed the experience. It was tough, but ultimately I think that it's learning - really good learning. "
Much of what Garry picked up during that period surrounded transfers, with a busy January of speculation adding to his man management workload in Limburg. Although recruitment and retention won't be priorities at present, he'll attempt to use those soft skills as he prepares his players for a trip to St. Andrew's next week.
The Canaries face Birmingham next week _(Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)_
"The transfer window was open during my time there and the exposure to that was really interesting, in terms of the impact that a transfer window can have on individuals," he added. "Some of these boys are very young, they are potentially experiencing a big move for the first time.
"You really see the emotional load that they've got. They're making life-changing decisions."
Perhaps the worry for City fans when it comes to Garry will be the connections that led to his move back to England. Although he may be a club appointment, and he certainly doesn't share the same bond that Hogg and Krause do with Manning, the ex-Bristol City boss was a major factor in his arrival.
Like previous interim Jack Wilshere before him, he's also an Arsenal connection of Knapper's. A petition for the City chief's sacking suggests that won't earn him much popularity with supporters, although it partly explains why he's been trusted with temporary preparations.
"I've known Liam for probably over 10 years," he said. "I've spoken to Liam off and on in that period about a range of different things. I was obviously aware when he went to Lommel because I'd spoken to him when he was in America, so we had exchanged messages and had the conversations.
Garry knew Liam Manning for more than 10 years before arriving at Carrow Road _(Image: Matt Wilkinson)_
"So Liam was one thing, and I'd worked with Ben before when he was at Arsenal, first off when he was involved with the first team but then as loans manager."
When City's new head coach is appointed - whether it's Jon Dahl Tomasson, Gary O'Neil, Will Still or someone else - Garry is likely to return to his coaching role. There will be no drama resembling the end of the short-lived Wilshere era or assumption of his taking over.
In truth it's unlikely that he'll ever stand on the touchline, conduct a pre-match press conference or enjoy even a 'Ryan Garry's Norwich City'. But when they line up for a vital game against Birmingham next weekend, his fingerprints will be all over the product that emerges. It's in the interests of everyone of a yellow and green persuasion that it's a positive one.