Former Chipley High School and Chipola College basketball star Brent Crews has joined Indians coach Jake Headrick’s coaching staff for the 2011-2012 season, along with Mike Davis, Jr., son of former Indiana University coach and current Alabama Birmingham coach Mike Davis.
Crews, who was a part of two state championship teams with the Indians in 2004 and 2005, finished his playing career at Florida Atlantic before getting his start in coaching by leading South Florida AAU program Florida Family.
Getting a chance to move into the college coaching ranks at the school he helped lead to multiple titles was too good of a chance to pass up, Crews said.
“I believe it’s a great opportunity with this staff,” he said. “I know what Chipola is about, I know the tradition, and that was the main thing that was important to me. I always thought about it, and to get my first job at a school I played it is special to me. I know how important it is to win here.”
Crews played for Chris Jans in his lone year leading the Indians, and then helped lead Greg Heiar’s team in his first year as head coach.
He now returns to Chipola to work with Headrick, who said he was delighted to add Crews to his staff.
“Brent is a guy who was a big part of when this whole run for Chipola started,” he said. “He understood what it took to win then, and he knows what it takes now. He’s a Chipola guy, and that’s the exciting thing about it. I’ve been trying to hire him for a couple of years. You couldn’t ask for more perfect timing.”
The 26-year-old Crews said his ultimate goal is to be a Division-I head coach, but for the time being, he’s focused on doing his part to make the Indians better.
“My goal is to bring some toughness on the defensive end, and some discipline,” said Crews, a defensive stand-out at Chipola. “I’d also like to help recruit some of these local players to Chipola.”
Headrick said he was also excited by the hire of Mike Davis, Jr., who he said has a lifetime of understanding when it comes to college basketball.
“He’s a guy who has been around the business since he was born,” he said. “He has been a part of his dad’s success every day, and the experience that he has naturally is unreal. I feel like he understands what this business is about, understands the hard work and preparation, and the relationships with the players; just everything that goes into being a college coach.”
Crews and Davis, Jr., join second-year assistant Patrick Black to form the staff, which Headrick “basically a D-I staff.”
“That’s how I feel with the confidence that I have that all three guys have the chance to be D-I assistants or head coaches one day,” he said. “As excited as I am about our team, I’m just as excited about our staff. I believe in the idea that you’re only as good as the people around you, and I couldn’t be happier about the staff we’re going to have this year.”
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement