Men's Basketball | 7/21/2011 2:59:00 PM
WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – Although the 2011-12 basketball season won't tip off for another four months, West Liberty University head coach Jim Crutchfield and his high-scoring Hilltoppers are back in the national spotlight.
An article by Jason Belzer on the national basketball website CollegeInsider.com, included Crutchfield on a list of the nation's Top 25 non-Division I men's basketball head coaches. The website used a picture of Crutchfield coaching at last season's NCAA Division II Elite Eight championship tournament in Springfield, Mass. as the feature photo accompanying the article.
Belzer said he based his list on an analysis of several factors, including institutional loyalty, overall program success, graduation rates, recruiting, reputation among peers and future potential.
“All of the coaches listed have proven their ability to build a first class program that succeeds in the classroom and on the court,” Belzer wrote. “Most important is the realization that this list was created not to (differentiate) the haves from the have-nots, but to honor those head coaches who have done great work throughout their careers and bring something truly special to their programs and universities as a whole.”
Crutchfield has the highest career winning percentage of any active NCAA Division II head coach at 175-40 (.814) and is coming off a school-record 33-1 campaign which included his second straight West Virginia Conference championship along with the first NCAA Division II regional title and NCAA Division II Elite Eight bids in more than 80 seasons of Hilltopper basketball. His 2010-11 West Liberty team led the nation in an NCAA Division II-record eight statistical categories, including the fifth national scoring title in the past six seasons.
Heading into his eighth season at the West Liberty helm, Crutchfield was one of 13 NCAA Division II coaches, 6 NCAA Division III coaches and 6 NAIA coaches on Belzer's list. Here's a direct link to the article on the Collegeinsider.com website: Top 25 Non-Division I Head Coaches
