Feb. 8, 2006
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ----- Ron McCrone, who has more than 35 years experience in the coaching profession -- at the professional, collegiate and high schools levels -- has been named assistant football coach at UAB, according to an announcement by Blazers' head coach football coach Watson Brown.
"I'm really excited about Ron joining our staff," said Brown. "He's been a head coach, a coordinator and has coached all defensive positions. I wanted to bring in a strong person with a solid background and we found that in Ron. I believe he's a great addition to our staff."
McCrone, who will coach UAB's linebackers, has spent the last two seasons at Conference USA-foe Southern Mississippi. He served at defensive end coach for the Golden Eagles in 2005 and defensive secondary coach in 2004. In 2005, the Southern Miss ranked second in C-USA in scoring defense. The Golden Eagles finished second in the league in scoring defense and third in pass defense in 2004.
"I'm thrilled about being back with Coach Brown," McCrone said. "We coached together at Vanderbilt and I think he's done a great job at UAB. This is a great staff and the kids have great character. I'm looking forward to getting up here and to start working with everyone."
Prior to his appointment at Southern Miss, he was the co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach in 2003 at Southwest Missouri State. While he was at Southwest Missouri State, his defensive secondary was ranked No. 1 in the Gateway Conference in pass defense, No. 1 in pass efficiency defense and No. 3 in the nation in pass efficiency defense.
McCrone started his coaching career in 1969, where he was the defensive backs coach at Paxon High School in Jacksonville, Fla. In 1970, he took his first head coaching job at Gordon (Ga.) Military College. Next, McCrone moved on to serve as the defensive ends coach at Florida in 1971-72, the secondary coach at Tampa in 1973 and at Southern Miss in 1974.
From 1975-78 he was the defensive coordinator and secondary coach at UT-Martin. In 1976, the Skyhawks led their conference in total defense and set the NCAA record with four interceptions returned for touchdowns and 269 yards in returns.
Next, he spent four years at three different Southeastern Conference schools from 1978-82. McCrone was the assistant defensive secondary coach at Auburn (1978), before spending two years as the defensive coordinator and secondary coach at Vanderbilt (1979-80) and one year as the linebackers coach at Ole Miss (1981). While at Vanderbilt in 1980, the Commodores set an NCAA record with five interceptions against Memphis.
McCrone coached the defensive secondary at Duke for two years (1982-83) before spending two years as the linebackers and special teams coach with the Tampa Bay Bandits of the United States Football League. The Bandits advanced to the USFL playoffs in 1985.
McCrone spent two years as a head high school coach in the state of Florida, one year at Citrus High School in Inverness, in 1987 and one year at Orange Park High School (1988). He also had a three-year stint at UTEP as the secondary coach from 1989-91. The 1991 team was first in the Western Athletic Conference in pass defense and second in total defense.
He then moved to UCF from 1992-94 as the defensive coordinator and secondary coach. In 1993, the Golden Knights set a school record with 58 sacks and led all the teams in the state of Florida with 22 interceptions. From 1995-97, McCrone worked at Temple University, serving as the defensive secondary coach the first two years and as the Assistant Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator in 1997. The Owls finished No. 11 in the nation in sacks in 1997 and were third in the Big East Conference in total defense.
McCrone was the Defensive Coordinator at Alabama State in 1998, where his secondary was first in the SWAC in passing defense and third in total defense. Before Alabama State, he spent two years in the Arena Football League 2, the 2000 season as the defensive coordinator of the Tallahassee Thunder and the Head Coach of the Jacksonville Tomcats in 2001.
A native of Jacksonville, Fla., McCrone is a graduate of the University of Florida (1968) with a bachelor's degree in recreational physical education and health and was a member of the 1967 Orange Bowl team. He and his wife, Mary, have three children, Jeff, Kelly and Blair, and one grandchild, Cody Carroll.
UAB will open the 2006 season Saturday, Sept. 2, when faces Oklahoma in Norman.