Tom Craft

Last updated

Tom Craft
Current position
Title Head coach
Team Riverside City
Conference National Southern
Record145–23
Biographical details
Born (1953-11-12) November 12, 1953 (age 71)
Iowa City, Iowa, U.S.
Playing career
1972–1973 Monterey Peninsula
1975–1976 San Diego State
Position(s) Quarterback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1977–1982 Palomar (QB/WR)
1983–1993Palomar
1994–1996 San Diego State (OC/QB)
1997–2001Palomar
2002–2005San Diego State
2007–2009 Mt. San Antonio (assoc. HC/OC/QB)
2010–2024 Riverside City Tigers
Head coaching record
Overall19–29 (college)
261–79–1 (junior college)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
2 junior college (1991, 1993)
2 CCCAA / 3C2A (2019, 2023)
5 Mission Conference South Division (1989–1993)
4 Mission Conference Central Division (1998–2001)
2 Central East (2010–2011)
7 National Central (2013–2017, 2021–2022)
4 National Southern (2018–2019, 2023–2024)

Thomas Jay Craft (born November 12, 1953) is an American football coach and former quarterback, who served as the head coach of the Riverside City Tigers from August 2010 until his retirement in December 2024. [1] [2] [3] He played college football at Monterey Peninsula and San Diego State. He then served as the head football coach Palomar from 1983 to 1993 and at San Diego State from 2002 to 2005.

Contents

Career

He served as the head football coach at Riverside City College in Riverside, California, a position that Craft served as from August 2010 until his retirement in December 2024. [1] [2] [3] . Craft served as the head football coach at San Diego State University from 2002 to 2005 and for two stints at Palomar College in San Marcos, California, from 1983 to 1993 and 1997 to 2001. Craft has also been the associate head coach and offensive coordinator at Mount San Antonio College in Walnut, California.

Under his tenure, San Diego State developed a reputation of playing the tough teams well but lacked consistency and never had a winning season. In 2004, San Diego State lost to Michigan 24–21, and in 2005, where it pushed Ohio State at home, and lost 24–21 to TCU. San Diego State fired Craft at the end of the 2005 season. [4]

Craft is a graduate of Pacific Grove High School, in Pacific Grove, California, and thereafter played quarterback at San Diego State.

After serving as an assistant coach at Palomar from 1977 to 1982 and with the school openly questioning its commitment to football, he took over head coaching duties in 1983. After a pair of 4–6 seasons, the Comets' fortunes began to improve. By the time Craft left the San Marcos school for the Aztec coordinator's job, Palomar was coming off a three-year stretch of 31–2, had an offense ranked among the nation's top five for five consecutive years and was sporting two national championships. Craft compiled an overall record of 115–56 and three national junior college football championships at Palomar.

At Palomar, Craft taught and coached seven All-American quarterbacks, which include: Duffy Daughtery, Scott Barrick, Brett Salisbury, Andy Loveland, Tom Luginbill, Greg Cicero, and Andy Goodenough.

Head coaching record

College

YearTeamOverallConferenceStandingBowl/playoffs
San Diego State Aztecs (Mountain West Conference)(2002–2005)
2002 San Diego State 4–94–34th
2003 San Diego State 6–63–45th
2004 San Diego State 4–72–57th
2005 San Diego State 5–74–46th
San Diego State:19–2913–16
Total:19–29

Junior college football

YearTeamOverallConferenceStandingBowl/playoffs
Palomar Comets (Mission Conference)(1983–1993)
1983 Palomar4–61–56th
1984 Palomar4–62–6T–7th
1985 Palomar6–44–4T–3rd
1986 Palomar5–54–57th
1987 Palomar4–4–13–5–16th
1988 Palomar4–63–6 / 3–12nd (South)
1989 Palomar7–46–31st (South)W Hall of Fame Bowl
1990 Palomar7–44–01st (South)W Hall of Fame Bowl
1991 Palomar10–18–01st (South)W Merced Elks Bowl
1992 Palomar10–18–1 / 3–01st (South)W Orange Country Classic
1993 Palomar11–09–0 / 3–01st (South)W San Francisco Community College Bowl
Palomar Comets (Mission Conference)(1997–2001)
1997 Palomar6–55–5 / 3–3T–3rd (Central)
1998 Palomar10–19–1 / 5–01st (Central)W First Down Bowl
1999 Palomar8–38–2 / 4–1T–1st (Central)L Shrine Potato Bowl
2000 Palomar7–47–3 / 4–1T–1st (Central)L Southern California Bowl
2001 Palomar10–27–1 / 5–01st (Central)W Southern California Bowl, L CCCAA Championship
Palomar:113–56–188–47–1
Riverside City Tigers (Central East Conference)(2010–2011)
2010 Riverside City10–15–01stW Central Division Championship
2011 Riverside City11–05–01st
Riverside City Tigers (National Central Conference / League)(2012–2017)
2012 Riverside City9–25–12ndW Golden State
2013 Riverside City10–26–01stL SCFA Championship
2014 Riverside City10–26–01stL SCFA Championship / CCCAA Semifinal
2015 Riverside City8–35–1T–1stL CCCAA Southern California Playoffs
2016 Riverside City10–24–1T–1stL SCFA Championship
2017 Riverside City10–24–1T–1stL SCFA Championship
Riverside City Tigers (National Southern League)(2018–2021)
2018 Riverside City10–25–01stL CCCAA/SCFA Championship
2019 Riverside City13–05–01stW CCCAA Championship
2020–21 No team—COVID-19
Riverside City Tigers (National Central League)(2021–2022)
2021 Riverside City10–35–01stL CCCAA Championship
2022 Riverside City12–15–01stL CCCAA Championship
Riverside City Tigers (National Southern League)(2023–present)
2023 Riverside City12–16–12ndW 3C2A Championship
2024 Riverside City10–27–01stL SCFA Championship
Riverside City:145–2373–5
Total:261–79–1
      National championship        Conference title        Conference division title or championship game berth

References

  1. 1 2 Pacheco, Eric. "The master and his craft: Tom Craft". Viewpoints. Retrieved March 5, 2025.
  2. 1 2 "Riverside City College football coach Tom Craft announces retirement". Press Enterprise. December 10, 2024. Retrieved March 5, 2025.
  3. 1 2 "Football Head Coach". Riverside City College Athletics. Retrieved March 5, 2025.
  4. ↑ McGrane, Mick (December 6, 2005). "SDSU fires Craft: Athletic director says program needs more energy, confidence". The San Diego Union-Tribune . Retrieved November 13, 2012.
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