Ryan Crawford named new HoCo AD/Head Football Coach

A new era of Bear Down football is set to begin at Houston County High School as former defensive coordinator and linebacker coach Ryan Crawford was recently named the school’s new athletic director and head football coach. Crawford and his wife Angela, the HoCo softball coach, and their family are already entrenched within the community, so the transition process will not be too difficult. “It’s a great opportunity for me and my family,” said Crawford during a Thursday morning phone call. “More than anything, I’m appreciative of Dr. Riser and the administration for the opportunity.”

The Bears finished the 2016 season with a 7-3 record, a tack below the general preseason expectations for a team featuring a number of Division I and major junior college signees. Crawford’s familiarity with the program should be a major asset in getting back to winning county and region championships that were won during the previous regime. “Every year is different, every year there’s a different nucleus,” says Crawford, “We lost a lot of good football players from last years team but the expectations haven’t changed around here.”

Crawford was looking to move up during his coaching career, but this soon, this fast, this position. He’s definitely prepared but also humbled by his current predicament. “I had goals to be an athletic director and head football coach, I have coached with some great football coaches. Hopefully the things I’ve learned over the years can be implemented so we can continue to teach and coach our kids and continue to put a good product out on the field.”