Grayson Crawford begins his second season with the Governors and first as the team's pitching coach and recruiting coordinator after serving as a volunteer assistant last season.
Crawford worked with the Governors pitchers last season, taking over as interim pitching coach for the final 43 games. The Govs staff set a program-record with 556 strikeouts and averaged a program-record 9.92 strikeouts per nine innings. In addition, Austin Peay pitchers held opponents to a .268 batting average, the lowest such mark since 2015.
Crawford joins the Governors after spending 2018 at Louisiana-Monroe where he was the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator. His time at Monroe followed two seasons as an assistant coach at Murray State – first as a volunteer assistant before being promoted to the Racers full-time pitching coach and recruiting coordinator.
While at ULM, Crawford helped lead a Warhawks pitching staff that posted improvements in ERA, strikeouts per nine innings and hits allowed per nine innings – part of an program push that saw ULM nearly double its win total from the 2017 season. He also coached Keegan Curtis who was selected in the 22nd round of the 2018 MLB draft by the New York Yankees.
After serving 2016 as a volunteer assistant at Murray State, Crawford moved into a full-time role as pitching coach and recruiting coordinator in 2017. He helped the Racers post 29 victories in 2017 – the program’s most wins since 2009 (34) and the program’s first trip to the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament since 2010. Crawford also had a pair of catchers, in Tyler Lawrence (Milwaukee Brewers) and Kipp Moore (Philadelphia Phillies), sign Major League contracts.
As the Racers pitching coach in 2017, Crawford tutored a staff that set single-season records for strikeouts (491) and saves (10). The MSU pitching staff featured MLB Draft pick Derrik Watson (25th round by Colorado) while Austin Dubsky, Chad Gendron, Jack Hranec and John Lollar signed with independent league teams.
In addition to his time at ULM and Murray State, Crawford has coached the Hopkinsville Hoppers of the Ohio Valley League – a collegiate summer league. He led the Hoppers to the 2018 OVL West Division title and all the way to the OVL Championship Series. In a previous stint with the Hoppers he led the program to the 2012 OVL championship and runner-up finishes in both 2013 and 2014.
Crawford’s area ties also include two years as head coach at Christian County High School where he posted a 47-35 record and led the Colonels to consecutive Region 2 championship game appearances. He then joined a Lindsey Wilson College program for the 2014-15 season, helping lead the Blue Raiders to their first NAIA World Series appearance and a program-best No. 10 national ranking.
In 2015, Crawford coached MSC Player of the Year and NAIA First-Team All-American Alex Bautista, who was later selected in the 22nd round of the MLB Draft by the Chicago Cubs. He also instructed Washington Nationals signee Carlos Pena.
Crawford compiled a 47-35 record (.573) in two seasons as head coach at Christian County High School in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. In his first season, he guided the Colonels to a 26-15 record, including the district championship, while advancing to the Region 2 Championship Game. The following season, Christian County went 21-20, finished as the District 8 runner-up and again appeared in the Region 2 Championship Game.
Prior to his tenure at Christian County, Crawford was an assistant coach at Pensacola (Fla.) State College for two seasons where he helped 27 student-athletes move on to play at four-year institutions.
A 2010 graduate of Stillman College, Crawford began his playing career at Southern Arkansas before joining his father, Donny Crawford, at Stillman where he was a catcher for three seasons. He began his coaching career in 2010 as an assistant at Stillman.
Crawford and his wife Lee have two children: Ava Gray and Evan.
