The former Spanish centre-back took charge of Jong Ajax this summer after joining Ajax earlier in the year, and his opening weeks have already brought the first win of his new era, a 3-2 victory over Helmond Sport, followed by a 1-1 draw at Jong PSV.
García's new role makes his thoughts on Spain's emerging centre-backs particularly interesting.
He has watched Raúl Asencio, Pau Cubarsí and Dean Huijsen develop from different starting points, and sees very different qualities in the three.
“Asensio is more of a Real Madrid-type player,” García told Football Presse.
“It was a surprise that he came into the first team because of the injuries Real Madrid had, but from the first day he made a very good impact.”
For García, Asencio's biggest strength is his ability to defend in the situations Real Madrid regularly create for their centre-backs.
“He has very good defensive skills, especially when he has a lot of space behind him and has to defend one-on-one,” he said.
“Normally, Real Madrid don't defend in a very organised way. There are a lot of transitions, and he is very good in those situations.”
Cubarsí offers something different.
“I think Cubarsí is less aggressive in the duels. He's not as good as Asensio in that aspect,” García said.
“But he is also very good when he has to defend space behind him.”
The Barcelona defender's greatest distinction, however, comes with the ball.
“His build-up is different,” García said.
That ability to start attacks from the back is a major part of Cubarsí's game, but García believes the teenager still has areas to improve.
“Maybe Cubarsí has to improve in those second-ball situations,” he said.
“That is one area where Asensio is better than him.”
The comparison is not intended to establish one as better than the other.
García sees two young defenders with different profiles — and that makes the next stage of their development particularly interesting.
Huijsen, meanwhile, has already made the biggest move of the three.
After an impressive season at Bournemouth, the Spain international joined Real Madrid, where the demands on a young centre-back are very different.
“For him, it is a very good move,” García said.
“He had a very good season in the Premier League. It is not an easy league for a centre-back. There is more contact and the game is more aggressive.”
But Real Madrid represents another level of pressure.
“At Real Madrid, it is different,” García said.
“It is one of the most difficult positions to succeed in at the club.”
García knows that reputation and ability do not always guarantee an easy transition at the Bernabéu.
“We saw it in the past with Samuel. He came from Italy and was one of the best defenders, but he had some problems performing at Real Madrid.”
He nevertheless has strong faith in Huijsen.
“I have a lot of confidence in him,” García said.
“He can become one of the best defenders at Real Madrid and for the national team over the next few years.”
That prediction is now being tested in Madrid.
Huijsen has started the new season as one of José Mourinho's main centre-back options and has impressed in the opening weeks, including a strong performance in the 4-1 victory over Real Sociedad. Recent Spanish reports have highlighted his improvement and his importance to Mourinho's build-up from the back.
Asencio's progress has been interrupted by injury, leaving Huijsen to establish himself alongside Ibrahima Konaté while Real Madrid wait for other defensive options to return.
When García was asked whether Asencio and Huijsen could eventually become Real Madrid's centre-back pairing, he saw the potential but stressed that a partnership involves more than individual quality.
“I see them as two real centre-backs,” he said.
“They are both good defenders. But there are many things involved — the coordination, how they move together and how they understand each other. It will be interesting to see what happens.”
García is now facing a similar challenge himself.
At Jong Ajax, individual development matters as much as results. His job is to take talented young players and prepare them for senior football, while also establishing a team capable of competing in the Eerste Divisie.
The start has been mixed, but the 3-2 win over Helmond Sport was García's first league victory as head coach, before Jong Ajax followed it with the draw at Jong PSV.
And his approach to developing defenders has already been shaped by the coaches he worked under as a player.
One of the principles he learned from Unai Emery is particularly important to him.
“For me, what I learned as a player, and what is very important to me now, is rest defence,” García said.
“When your team is attacking, you have to think about how the centre-backs are positioned and how you are going to defend if you lose the ball.”
He remembers one Emery principle in particular.
“He used to say that if you can't help the team attack, you have to start thinking about defending.”
For García, that means being prepared before possession is lost.
“You have to be ready for the moment you lose the ball. How can you stop the opponent from starting a counter-attack? And how can you win it back quickly so you can attack again closer to their goal?”
It is the kind of detail García now wants to pass on to his own players.
And after only a handful of competitive games in charge of Jong Ajax, the former defender is already beginning the next stage of his coaching career — developing players of his own while watching the likes of Huijsen, Asencio and Cubarsí face the same test at the highest level.