Ryan Crawford enters his ninth season at Harvard after he returned to the program in March 2023 for his second stint with the Crimson. After working with the Crimson's secondary and special teams units in 2023, the assistant head coach will coach the defensive backs for the second straight year in '25.
Crawford helped Harvard capture the 2024 Ivy League title while guiding the Crimson DBs. Ty Bartrum (first team), Damien Henderson (second team) and Gavin Shipman (honorable mention) were all-conference performers and played a role in the Harvard defense ranking 23rd in the FCS in scoring defense and 30th in rushing defense.
In his first season back at Harvard, Crawford directed a special teams unit that ranked among the nation's best, finishing 18th in blocked punts and 24th in blocked kicks. The Crimson secondary was also key in Harvard winning the 2023 Ivy title, ranking 18th nationally in interceptions, which contributed to the country's 20th-ranked scoring defense. At the end of the campaign, three members of the secondary (Bartrum, Kaleb Moody, Shipman) captured All-Ivy recognition.
Prior to his return to Cambridge, Crawford spent the previous five seasons at the Football Subdivision (FBS) level, coaching at Wake Forest and Navy.
During a four-year stint with the Demon Deacons, Crawford tutored the secondary and served as their assistant special teams coordinator his final two campaigns. In those four seasons, Wake Forest compiled a 30-19 record, appeared in four bowl games, and rose to as high as No. 10 in the nation in 2021.
After a season in which Wake Forest finished 11-3, Crawford went to Navy to coach its safeties. While in Annapolis, Maryland, Crawford helped the Midshipmen defense finish second in the nation in rushing defense and first downs defense, 22nd in sacks, 28th in fumbles recovered, and 31st in total defense.
Prior to his time in the FBS, Crawford was on Murphy’s staff from 2012-17, leading the defensive backs and the special teams unit. In six years, Crawford helped Harvard captured three Ivy League championships, while helping the Crimson’s defensive and special teams groups be one of the most feared nationally on an annual basis.
Before his first stint at Harvard, Crawford spent four seasons at Rhode Island (defensive coordinator, recruiting coordinator), three at Bucknell (cornerbacks) and two at his alma mater Davidson (quarterbacks, defensive backs).
Crawford earned his bachelor’s degree in biology from Davidson in 2001, following a successful playing career that saw him earn Associated Press All-America First-Team honors in 1999, after leading the country with eight interceptions, and be named the 2000 NCAA I-AA Mid-Major Defensive Back of the Year. He was later inducted into the Davidson Hall of Fame in 2012, as part of the school’s 23rd induction class.
With his collegiate playing days in the books, Crawford embarked on a professional playing career that took him to the Indiana Firebirds of the Arena Football League and the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League.
Crawford and his wife, Carrie, have a daughter, Dylan, and son, Bryson.
