Former Stillman College baseball coach Donny Crawford will be inducted into the Stillman inaugural Hall of Fame class on February 17, 2023, for guiding the Tiger baseball program to unprecedented success.
After being hired in 2005 as the head baseball coach at Stillman College, Donny Crawford quickly became one of the top coaches in Tigers baseball history and in the SIAC conference. Over his eleven years at Stillman, Crawford accumulated 272 career wins and seven Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) baseball championships which also included runner-up in the SIAC three times.
Coach Crawford’s career record 272-236 is second all-time at Stillman for wins. Under Crawford, the Tigers won seven SIAC titles in 2007-2009 and 2011-2014; in 2010 and 2015. This also included a nine-year streak of 20-win seasons from 2006-2014 which is currently the longest in school history.
Crawford guided the program to 32 wins in 2009 for the most single season wins in school history. The 2012 team went undefeated in the conference going 21-0 in the SIAC and guided the program’s first NCAA DII Tournament advancing to the South Region championship series.
The 2012 team was crown HBCU baseball national champion the first in program history securing Crawford among all-time HBCU baseball national coaching champions.
An all-around student of the game, Coach Crawford holds the plaque for getting the best out of his players in the classroom and on the field.
Being inducted into Stillman Hall of Fame is truly a dream come true for Crawford. It is just as much a reflection of the coaches and teammates he was surrounded by as it is his own achievements.
“I am truly honored to be selected for this award. It would not have been possible without God helping me along the way. A special thanks to my family, all my assistant coaches and all the players throughout my time there who brought in to doing things special that had never been achieved.”
Prior to Stillman, Crawford was the head coach at Tuscaloosa area high schools Brookwood, Holt, and Tuscaloosa County as well as serving three seasons as an assistant at the University of Alabama. Since his departure from Stillman, he helped Gordo High School to a 3A Alabama High School Athletic Association state title in 2017 and multiple state semifinal appearances. He is currently head baseball coach at Lane College in Jackson, Tennessee.
Crawford became the Lane College head baseball coach after the conclusion of the 2022 baseball season.
Congratulations, coach Crawford!