Crowder has been a driving force in the resurgence of Buffalo Soccer over the last 11 seasons in Canyon as WT has recorded 110 victories during his tenure with a pair of Heartland Conference Regular Season Championships and the 2018 Tournament Championship along with Lone Star Conference Regular Season and Tournament titles in 2020. Crowder was elevated to Associate Head Coach following the 2018 campaign.
Â
The Buffs registered one of the best seasons in program history in 2018 as they set a new school record for victories, ending the season in the NCAA Division II National Quarterfinals with an overall record of 17-3-3. WT claimed the first Heartland Conference Tournament Title in program history followed by postseason wins over #5 Colorado School of Mines and #25 Colorado Mesa to claim the South Central Regional Championship before falling to Cal Poly Pomona in the Elite Eight. WT earned United Soccer Coaches Division II South Central Region Coaching Staff of the Year.
Crowder came to WT following a six-year stint as the Goalkeeping Director of the Lonestar Soccer Club in Austin. While with the Lonestar Soccer Club, Crowder trained goalkeepers from 136 select teams, including the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) and United States Soccer Federation (USSF) Academy. Crowder’s clubs won a United States Youth Soccer (USYS) National Championship in 2009 and an ECNL National Championship in 2011.
Â
Also leading up to his arrival in Canyon, Crowder administered and trained all of the South Texas Olympic Development Program’s goalkeepers as the Head Goalkeeper Coach with the South Texas Youth Soccer Association since 2005 and served as a Goalkeeping Staff Coach with the Region III Olympic Development Program since 2007.
Â
Crowder’s first coaching experience came in 2000 where he was on staff with the Centex Storm Soccer Club and won three South Texas Championships in three years. Between 2001-’05, he got his first experience coaching at the collegiate level with NCAA DIII University of Mary Hardin-Baylor as an assistant coach. There, Crowder coached goalkeeper Chase Williams to American Southwest Conference Player of the Year honors in 2004 and National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) First-team All-Region in 2003-’05.
Â
Between 2005-’07, Crowder served as an assistant coach with Austin Lightning Soccer while in 2006 and 2007 he was an assist coach for the men’s team at NAIA member Huston-Tillotson University. Crowder helped lead the Rams to a Red River Conference Championship in 2007 while his goalkeeper Jeff Richie was named the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year.
Â
More recently, Crowder spent two years with the Dallas Texas Soccer Club-Austin Division (2006-’08) as Director of Goalkeeping and two years with Austin Amp’d Indoor Soccer (2007-’09). With Amp’d, a PASL semi-professional club, he served as assistant coach and conditioning coach for the men and was the head coach for the women in his final year, leading the team to a Southern League Championship appearance.
Â
Also while with Lonestar SC, Crowder spent three years with the Town and Country Soccer Association as Soccer Director (2008-’11). Crowder managed the entire soccer complex, facilitated field rentals, managed a 1,500-player recreational league, and held coaching clinics in addition to numerous other duties. Before joining Lonesar, he worked as a goalkeeper coach for St. Stephen's Episcopal in Austin, Texas (2011-'13).
His many certifications include a USSF ‘B’ License, NSCAA Premier Diploma, NSCAA Advanced National Diploma, NSCAA Advanced National Goalkeeper Diploma, USA Weightlifting Certified Conditioning Coach/Club Coach, Cooper’s Institute Certified Personal Trainer, ISSA Certified Sports Conditioning Coach, and FA Level 1 Award. Over the previous five years, Crowder has also served as an Id2 Identification Scout with US Club Soccer and a North America Scout with Royal Racing FC Montegnée.
Â
Crowder received a Bachelors of Arts and Science in 2000 from Midwestern State. He also has a wealth of experience in strength and conditioning after working five years in fitness management and personal training at World’s Gym, Gold’s Gym, and YMCA-Austin.
