Josh Crawford expected to be hired as Georgia running backs coach
Georgia’s search for a running backs coach looks like it’s over, and the Bulldogs are expected to go the direction of an assistant with plenty of in-state ties. Georgia Tech wide receivers coach Josh Crawford interviewed for the opening at that position. Instead, he’ll it seems he’ll be making a change and fill the void left behind after the departure of Dell McGee instead, taking over as the running backs coach for the Bulldogs.
Matt Zenitz of 247Sports was first to report. A deal is not done, but DawgsHQ can confirm things are trending that way.
A native of Montrose, Ala., Crawford played running back at Morehouse in Atlanta and got into coaching in the area at Greater Atlanta Christian in 2010. At the same time, he earned a master’s degree from Georgia.
Crawford bounced around between a couple of South Georgia high schools including Jefferson County, Colquitt County, Lee County and Valdosta between the years of 2013 and 2020. He helped three teams to Georgia 6A state championships and coached multiple Power Five receivers including Darius Slayton, who just finished his fifth season in the NFL. Crawford also coached high school All-American Tate Rodemaker, who threw for 6,752 yards and 74 touchdowns with Crawford as his offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach 2018-19 at Valdosta.
All that came before landing at the collegiate level at Western Kentucky in 2021. In two seasons with the Big Red, Crawford’s wideouts combined for a whopping 10,339 receiving yards and 94 touchdowns. He started his time in Bowling Green as the outside receivers coach before being picking up the co-offensive coordinator title in a promotion. Four Western Kentucky receivers earned All-Conference USA honors including 2021 conference newcomer of the year Jerreth Sterns, who caught 150 passes for 1,902 yards and 17 scores as he led the nation in the following categories: receptions, receptions per game (10.6), receiving yards and receiving yards per game (132.2). That same season, Mitchell Tinsley added a second 1,000-yard receiver to the Big Red attack with 1,402 yards and 14 touchdowns on 87 catches while Crawford was named a finalist for the FootballScoop Coach of the Year award in the wide receivers category.
Most recently, Crawford spent the past season at Georgia Tech on the staff of Brent Key and under the direction of first year offensive coordinator, and former Georgia staffer, Buster Faulkner. Crawford helped the Yellow Jackets land freshman Eric Singleton Jr, who finished top-10 in the ACC for receiving with 714 yards on 48 grabs. Singleton, who was a commit of Crawford’s at Western Kentucky before flipping to Georgia Tech, was a three-star recruit – a sign of Crawford’s evaluation skills.
Crawford’s experience – as seen above – is primarily with wide receivers. He has however spent time coaching running backs, doing so at the high school ranks. He’ll take over a room that brings in Florida transfer Trevor Etienne and three true freshman while also having the returning production of Branson Robinson, Andrew Paul and Roderick Robinson.
