On May 12th, men’s basketball head coach Shaka Smart announced that Rodney Crawford had been hired as an assistant coach.
Crawford has over 15 years of coaching experience in both head and assistant roles, joining the South Alabama program after serving as director of player personnel at Cincinnati for two seasons (2019-21). In his first year, he helped guide Cincinnati to a 20–10 record and a 13–5 mark in the American Athletic Conference (AAC), earning a share of the regular-season title and the top seed in the conference tournament, which was ultimately canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The following season, he contributed to a 12–11 campaign that culminated in a run to the AAC Tournament championship game.
Crawford is joining Marquette’s staff after serving three seasons as an associate head coach at the University of South Alabama from 2023-26 following two seasons as head coach of the program from 2021-23. He helped the Jaguars secure a 2024-25 Sun Belt Conference regular season title for the first time since 2008. Most recently, the Jaguars went 21-12 and were invited to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT).
Crawford’s time at South Alabama is highlighted by surpassing expectations. The Jaguars were picked to finish 11th in the 2024-25 Sun Belt preseason poll in which the team shocked the league with a 21-11 record. The Jaguars were among the nation’s most efficient defensive teams, ranking in the top-20 in several categories, including field-goal percentage defense (.384), scoring defense (64.3 ppg), steals (9.3 spg.) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.59).
“Coach Rock brings incredible passion, toughness and basketball acumen to our program,” Smart said. “Over his career, he’s proven that he can help players elevate their games and consistently impact the defensive end with his presence and grit.”
During the 2023-24 season, Crawford briefly led the Jaguars during head coach Richie Riley’s absence and helped guide a late-season surge (six wins in eight games) to an eighth seed in the conference tournament, while playing a pivotal role in developing standout Samuel Tabe. He also helped Kevin Samuel earn Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2022-23.
“Joining Marquette is truly an honor,” Crawford said. “I’ve always had tremendous respect for Coach Smart and the culture he has built. The energy, toughness, and connectedness of his teams have always stood out to me. The opportunity to be part of a program defined by strong values, passionate people, and a championship mindset is something I’m incredibly grateful for. I’m excited to be in Milwaukee and ready to get to work.”
A two-year letterwinner at Cincinnati from 2000–02, Crawford played on teams that went a combined 56–14 while advancing to the NCAA Tournament each season. Most notably, he helped the Bearcats go 31–4 while climbing as high as fifth in the Associated Press poll his senior year.
Crawford joins former FIU head coach Jeremy Ballard, who was hired in April as an assistant with the Golden Eagles, to round out the 2026-27 Marquette coaching staff under Smart.
This story was written by Ben Ward. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter/X @BenWardMU.
