#10: The Athletic’s CJ Moore profiles Nova Southeastern Men’s Basketball HC Jim Crutchfield and his unique style of play, with the Sharks averaging nearly 10 more possessions per game than the fastest DI team and constantly full-court pressing, which has helped Crutchfield garner the highest winning percentage (86.4%) of any NCAA coach with at least a decade of experience ever. Crutchfield’s style was inspired by a camp run by high school HC Morgan Wooten and St. John’s (DI) HC Rick Pitino’s press at Providence (DI) in 1987. Beyond the style of play, Crutchfield’s success can be attributed to finding the right players who will buy-in to the “brainwashing process of trying to get guys closer and closer to what they’re capable of.” Miami Heat HC Erik Spoelstra sought out Crutchfield four years ago hoping to learn how he turned around two DII programs into juggernauts: “He knows how to build a program. He knows how to get people rallying around his vision that’s not documented and only he can explain it. But he’s like the pied piper. You just seem drawn to it. And then ultimately, he’s able to get that program to win. And he does it over and over and over.” Looking ahead, Crutchfield has no plans of stopping and starts his days with a lift and swim, works out of his townhouse across the street from his office on campus and plays pickleball or tennis five days a week. Moore: “One possible wrinkle: Nova Southeastern moving to Division I and joining the Atlantic Sun has been discussed. Those in Crutchfield’s tree think [former AC/current Florida Atlantic (DI) AC Jordan] Fee might be the one to test ‘the system’ at the D-I ranks. He took over at Gannon after Nova’s 2023 title and led a team that won three games the previous season to a 32-3 record and the D-II Elite Eight, the largest year-to-year turnaround in NCAA history.” Lots more. (link)
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#9: Georgia Southwestern State elevates Assoc. AD for Business and Operations/Men’s Soccer HC Eric Crawford to Senior Assoc. AD. (link) |
#8: The NCAA provides a rundown of the NCAA Convention agenda and notes that all three divisions will vote on a recommendation to make women's wrestling an NCAA championship sport. If approved, it will become the NCAA's 91st championship and the sixth sport to reach NCAA championship status through the Emerging Sports for Women program. Division II will vote on eight proposals including Football AQs, allowing student-athletes to compete in up to 30% of the maximum number of contests during their initial year of eligibility without it counting as a season of competition and more. Featured education sessions include enrollment and roster management, revenue generation, adding sports, a look at the NCAA’s impact on the Paris Olympics, how sports betting is impacting student-athletes, student-athlete health, safety and performance, and expanding opportunities for women’s sports. (link)
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#7: Valdosta State is set to promote OC Graham Craig to HC, per FootballScoop’s Scott Roussel. (link)
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#6: Saint Anselm selects Assoc. AD Phil Rowe to be the Hawks’ Interim AD. (link) |
#5: Northeastern State Asst. AD for External Relations Andrew Fletcher has departed to become the Lead Residential Advisor for Sequoyah High School. (link) |
#4: New Mexico Highlands Co-AD Shana Halalilo will now serve as the sole AD, with Co-AD Jim Deisler to move to Senior Assoc. AD. President Neil Woolf: “Shanna has been providing exceptional leadership these past couple of years as our Co-Director of Athletics. Her experience as a former collegiate athlete, dynamic leadership skills, and commitment to student success make her the ideal leader to take our athletic department into an exciting new era.” (link)
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#3: Sportico's Daniel Libit: "@EDcivilrights drops long-awaited Title IX/NIL guidance, putting onus on schools to ensure college athlete pay–even from outside sources–is gender-equity complaint. Big development 2 weeks before House settlement objections due." (link) More from Libit: "In a nine-page 'fact sheet' released Thursday, OCR clarified that, under Title IX, NIL money paid to college athletes should be held to the same gender-equity standards as athletic scholarships. Specifically, it stated that the amounts paid to athletes through NIL deals should be considered part of a school's athletic financial assistance, just as grants-in-aid and cost-of-attendance funds are. ... OCR further stressed that even when NIL payments are made by third parties, such as booster clubs or collectives, schools remain responsible for ensuring that these funds do not create sex-based disparities." (link) Full memo from the Department of Education. (link)
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#2: With Columbus State launching the search for a permanent AD, CSU Chief Planning Officer for Strategic Initiatives Lauren Brown will serve as Interim AD. (link) |
#1: Winona State AD Eric Schoh will retire in March to pursue an opportunity in the private sector after more than a dozen years leading the Warriors. VP for University Advancement/Winona State Foundation Executive Director Jon Olson will lead athletics in the interim. (link)
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