 On 4 April 2019, Garitano signed a contract extension at the San Mamés Stadium to run until 30 June 2020.On 1 June 2020, he was rewarded with another contract extension until June 2021, having led Athletic Bilbao to their first Copa del Rey final since 2015.During his playing spell with Eibar, Garitano studied to become a journalist before beginning his sports coaching courses.