Jim Crutchfield

Last updated
Jim Crutchfield
Current position
TitleHead coach
Team Nova Southeastern
Conference Sunshine State
Record204–25 (.891)
Biographical details
Alma mater West Virginia ('78)
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Basketball
1979–1989 Cameron HS
1989–2004 West Liberty (assistant)
2004–2017West Liberty
2017–present Nova Southeastern
Tennis
1989–2004 West Liberty
Head coaching record
Overall563–86 (.867)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Awards

Jim Crutchfield is an American college basketball coach who is the head coach of the Nova Southeastern Sharks men's basketball team.

Contents

Early life

Crutchfield grew up in Clarksburg, West Virginia and attended Roosevelt-Wilson High School, where he played basketball. [1] He graduated from West Virginia University in 1978. [2]

Coaching career

Crutchfield had originally planned to attend West Virginia University College of Law after spending a year trying to find a high school coaching position. He disenrolled shortly before the start of classes after being hired as the head basketball coach at Cameron High School. [3] Crutchfield coached at Cameron for ten years and also taught mathematics. [4]

Crutchfield was originally hired as the head men's and women's tennis coach and as an assistant men's basketball coach for the West Liberty Hilltoppers in 1989. [5] As a tennis coach, he won a combined 11 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) titles and was named the WVIAC Coach of the Year eight times. [6] He was hired as the head men's basketball coach at West Liberty in 2004. [7] In 13 seasons as head coach, the Hilltoppers went 359–61 with six Elite Eight appearances and four Final Four appearances. [8]

Crutchfield was hired as the head coach at Nova Southeastern on March 21, 2017. [9] During the 2022–23 season, he coached the Sharks to a 36–0 record as the team won the 2023 NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament. [10] The following season, Nova Southeastern went 32–3 and returned to the national championship game where they lost to Minnesota State 88–85. [11] During the 2024–25 season, Crutchfield coached the Sharks to a 36–1 record and a third straight national championship game appearance. They would win their second national championship in three years after defeating Cal State Dominguez Hills 74–73. [12]

Head coaching record

Statistics overview
SeasonTeamOverallConferenceStandingPostseason
West Liberty Hilltoppers (West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference)(2004–2013)
2004–05West Liberty 21–1013–6
2005–06West Liberty 21–811–7
2006–07West Liberty 25–517–1 NCAA Division II First Round
2007–08West Liberty 23–614–5
2008–09West Liberty 23–716–4
2009–10West Liberty 29–321–1 NCAA Division II Sweet 16
2010–11West Liberty 33–122–0 NCAA Division II Final Four
2011–12West Liberty 32–321–1 NCAA Division II Elite Eight
2012–13West Liberty 34–221–1 NCAA Division II Final Four
West Liberty Hilltoppers (Mountain East Conference)(2013–2017)
2013–14West Liberty 31–420–2 NCAA Division II Runner-Up
2014–15West Liberty 28–421–2 NCAA Division II Sweet 16
2015–16West Liberty 31–420–2 NCAA Division II Final Four
2016–17West Liberty 28–419–3 NCAA Division II First Round
West Liberty:359–61 (.855)236–35 (.871)
Nova Southeastern (Sunshine State Conference)(2017–present)
2017–18Nova Southeastern 17–1011–9T–4th
2018–19Nova Southeastern 29–418–21st NCAA Division II Elite Eight
2019–20Nova Southeastern 23–615–52ndNo postseason held
2020–21Nova Southeastern [a]
2021–22Nova Southeastern 31–120–01st NCAA Division II Elite Eight
2022–23Nova Southeastern 36–020–01st NCAA Division II Champion
2023–24Nova Southeastern 32–318–21st NCAA Division II Runner-Up
2024–25Nova Southeastern 36–119–11st NCAA Division II Champion
Nova Southeastern:204–25 (.891)121–19 (.864)
Total:563–86 (.867)

      National champion        Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion        Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion      Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

  1. ↑ Nova Southeastern did not play in the 2020–21 school year due to COVID-19 concerns.

References

  1. ↑ Ryan, Rick (June 18, 2023). "Rick Ryan: Will D-II coach Crutchfield be among candidates for WVU job?". Charleston Gazette-Mail . Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Crutchfield tops all coaches in winning percentage". Times West Virginian . November 12, 2014. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
  3. ↑ Moore, CJ (January 8, 2025). "NBA greats think this D-II coach is a basketball genius. So why don't you know who he is?". The Athletic . Retrieved March 28, 2025.
  4. ↑ Weinreb, Michael (February 20, 2013). "Hurry Up and Wait". Grantland . Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  5. ↑ "Jim Crutchfield 'miracle man' at West Liberty". The Register-Herald . May 15, 2013. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Former WLU Hoops Coach Crutchfield Displays Tennis Skills". The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register . June 9, 2019. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
  7. ↑ "Crutchfield simply has the winning recipe wherever he goes to coach". The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register . March 11, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
  8. ↑ Pells, Eddie (March 27, 2025). "Big fish, different pond: March Madness is Nova SE's time thanks to a coaching giant in Division II". Associated Press . Retrieved March 28, 2025.
  9. ↑ "NSU hires Div. II veteran Jim Crutchfield as men's basketball coach". Sun Sentinel . March 21, 2017. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
  10. ↑ "NSU Sharks win first men's basketball national championship, end perfect 36-0 season". Sun Sentinel . March 25, 2023. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
  11. ↑ Villa, Walter (October 29, 2024). "Surprise return of point guard could fuel more NSU success". Miami Herald . Retrieved November 18, 2024.
  12. ↑ "NSU men's basketball survives thriller to secure second national title in three years". Miami Herald . March 29, 2025. Retrieved March 29, 2025.
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