FARGO, N.D. – North Dakota State head football coach Matt Entz announced the hiring of wide receivers coach Steve Crutchley on Tuesday, Feb. 7. Crutchley replaces Noah Pauley, who resigned to accept a position at Iowa State University in the Big 12 Conference.
Crutchley was the running backs coach at the University of North Dakota in 2022 after spending five seasons at the FBS level as offensive analyst at Temple from 2019 to 2021 and wide receivers coach at Northern Illinois in 2017 and 2018.
Crutchley has been in the Missouri Valley Football Conference for nine years. He was the running backs coach at Southern Illinois from 2008 to 2012 alongside offensive coordinator and current NDSU quarterbacks coach Randy Hedberg, and he coached running backs from 2013 to 2015 at Western Illinois, where Entz was the defensive coordinator in 2013.
“During our time together, I could see quickly the positive impact Steve had on his position players and team, along with his attention to the details and organization,” said Entz. “Coach Crutchley is an excellent teacher, mentor and recruiter, and will be an excellent addition to the NDSU football staff.”
At UND, Crutchley coached all-conference running back Tyler Hoosman and assisted with special teams coaching returners. UND ranked third in the FCS averaging 20.2 yards per punt return and ranked seventh with 26.0 yards per kickoff return. At Southern Illinois, he coached NFL running backs Jewel Hampton and Deji Karim and was part of back-to-back MVFC championship teams in 2008 and 2009.
Crutchley played wide receiver at Wisconsin-Eau Claire from 1996 to 1999. He was a captain on the 1998 conference championship football team and two-time national qualifier in the 4×100-meter relay on the Blugold track and field team. He was a conference indoor champion in the 200-meter dash and was named UW-Eau Claire’s most valuable track athlete in 1998 and 1999.
Crutchley earned a bachelor’s degree in social studies from Wisconsin-Eau Claire in 1999 and completed a master’s degree in sport management at St. Cloud State in 2006. He began his coaching career at St. Cloud State in 2002 spending six seasons with the Huskies as wide receivers coach.
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