Chris Crawford '05 enters his 15th season at the helm of the USI men's tennis team after leading the Screaming Eagles to the NCAA Division II Midwest Region Tournament in eight straight seasons (2010-2017). Crawford is the all-time winningest coach in men’s tennis history with 190 wins. In 2022, Crawford took the reigns of the women's tennis program after succeeding Keely Porter, the longest-tenured and winningest coach in women's tennis history.
In his first season as head coach for both programs and NCAA Division I, Crawford led the women's team to a 4-15 finish and 0-5 in OVC play. He was able to coach Lauren Rowe and Rachel McCorkle to an OVC Doubles Partners of the Week honor in February. The Eagles qualified for the OVC Championship as the sixth seed. Crawford led the men's team to a 7-14 finish and 3-6 in Horizon League play. The Eagles finished in fourth in the South Division of the Horizon League, barely missing the postseason.
In 2021-22, the Eagles finished the year 10-10, 0-6 in the GLVC to finish seventh in the GLVC East division. Crawford coached Spencer Blandford into a record book finish, landing him in the top-15 in career singles wins (11th), doubles wins (9th), and combined wins (13th).
Crawford's squads have been especially dominant in the Great Lakes Valley Conference since he took the helm in 2009-10. The Eagles have only lost 20 regular season conference matches since he took over the program and have posted a 46-20 league mark (an .696 winning percentage).
USI appeared in the GLVC Tournament for the 13th-straight season in 2018-19 after placing fourth in the East Division. The Eagles posted a 2-3 league mark and 11-13 record overall.
The Eagles reached the GLVC semi-finals for the third time in the last four seasons during 2017-18 after producing a 9-13 overall mark and a 3-2 record in the league regular season.
USI reached 15-or-more wins for the eighth-straight season in 2016-17 after finishing with a 16-11 record and a 4-2 mark in the GLVC. The Eagles also advanced to the GLVC Tournament and the NCAA II Tournament.
The Eagles continued their winning ways in 2015-16, posting a 17-6 overall record and a 5-1 mark in the GLVC. Crawford directed the Eagles to a second-place finish in the GLVC Tournament and an appearance in the NCAA II Tournament, ending the year ranked 38th nationally.
The 2014-15 Eagles and Crawford advanced to the NCAA II regional tournament after posting a 15-7 overall mark and a 5-1 record in the GLVC East Division. USI concluded the year ranked 32nd nationally after a season-high of 25th.
In 2013-14, Crawford's Eagles finished 19-8 overall, 5-1 in GLVC play, and advanced to within one win of the NCAA II National Championship round. USI, which ranked as high as No. 22, nationally, in the ITA Top 50 poll, finished the year ranked No. 30.
Crawford was named the GLVC Coach of the Year for the second time in 2012-13 after leading USI to its sixth GLVC Tournament championship and its first NCAA II Midwest Preliminary Round title. The Eagles finished the season in the first round of the NCAA II Championships with a 17-4 overall record and won their third GLVC East Division crown in the last four years with a perfect 5-0 conference record. USI also ranked No. 26 final poll.
The 2011-12 season was nearly a record-breaker as the Eagles concluded the year with a 21-4 mark, just one win shy of tying the school single-season record. USI also won the GLVC East Division with a perfect 5-0 mark and advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament for the third-straight year and were ranked No. 41 in the final poll.
In 2010-11, Crawford led the Eagles to a 15-8 overall record and second-place finish in the GLVC East Division with a 4-1 mark. The Eagles also finished second in a GLVC Tournament that included an upset of No. 16 Drury University and were ranked No. 35 in the final national poll.
Crawford became the fourth head coach in the history of the USI men's tennis program in 2009-10 and led the Eagles to within a set of the NCAA II National Championship round.
In that first season, Crawford's Eagles were 20-5 overall and 5-0 in the GLVC East Division. USI also took second in the GLVC Tournament during Crawford's first season as the rookie head coach and was named GLVC Coach of the Year.
The 20 wins in the 2009-10 season were the most by a first-year USI men's tennis coach.
A 2005 USI graduate with a bachelor’s degree in physical education, Crawford returned to the Screaming Eagles program after four years as a professional tennis instructor at Healthplex Sports Club in Indianapolis, Indiana. He also was a tennis instructor at Advantage Court and Fitness in Evansville, Indiana, for two years while completing his undergraduate degree.
Crawford was a standout on the USI men’s tennis team during his four seasons as an Eagle. He still holds the USI single-season record for most combined wins in a season (28 singles/24 doubles in 2001), had 123 career victories (58 singles and 75 doubles), and was named All-GLVC in 2002.
The native of Jeffersonville, Indiana, also was a member of the USI squads that won four straight GLVC championships (1999-2002) and made three NCAA Division II Tournament appearances (2000-02).
Crawford and his wife, Jill, have three children, Olivia, Emerson, and Ty.
| Crawford at USI (men) |
| Year |
Overall Record |
GLVC Record |
GLVC Place |
| 2009-10 |
20- 5 |
5-0 |
2nd |
| 2010-11 |
15- 8 |
4-1 |
2nd |
| 2011-12 |
21- 4 |
5-0 |
3rd |
| 2012-13 |
17- 4 |
5-0 |
GLVC Champion |
| 2013-14 |
19- 8 |
5-1 |
3rd |
| 2014-15 |
15- 7 |
5-1 |
3rd |
| 2015-16 |
17- 6 |
5-1 |
2nd |
| 2016-17 |
16-11 |
4-2 |
3rd GLVC East |
| 2017-18 |
9-13 |
3-2 |
2nd GLVC East |
| 2018-19 |
11-13 |
2-3 |
4th GLVC East |
| 2019-20 |
5- 4** |
NA |
Season cut short by COVID-19 |
| 2020-21 |
8- 6 |
3-3 |
Tied 4th GLVC East |
| 2021-22 |
10-10 |
0-6 |
7th GLVC East |
| 2022-23 |
7-14 |
3-6 (HL) |
4th HL South Division |
| TOTAL |
190-113
(.627) |
49-26
(.653) |
|
