When Tim Cokely first encountered Josh Crawford more than 10 years ago, he saw the same enthusiasm that Georgia Tech coach Brent Key noted when he hired Crawford as his receivers coach.
A Montrose, Alabama, native only a few years removed from his collegiate career as a Morehouse College running back, Crawford began his coaching career as an offensive assistant under Cokely at Greater Atlanta Christian School in 2010. Cokely recalled his first impression of Crawford during a conversation with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“He was applying for an opening, and he’s just got that great smile, and he’s just got a great way about him,” said Cokely, who won six state titles during his 32-year coaching career in Florida and Georgia. “So 10 minutes into the interview, I just knew that he was the guy we wanted around our players and around our school because of the way he carried himself. He was intelligent and had a playing background.”
That sparked Crawford’s 11-year run coaching at the high school level. He worked at five premier schools in the state: Colquitt County, Valdosta, Lee County, Jefferson and GAC. His teams made three 6A state championships. The 2015 Colquitt County team, on which Crawford served as Rush Propst’s receivers coach, was named national champions with a 15-0 record by High School Football America. Crawford helped develop six all-state receivers during his high-school tenure. Giants receiver Darius Slayton, who played collegiately at Auburn, was among his top proteges.
Crawford spent the past two seasons as receivers coach at Western Kentucky, where his receivers produced over 10,300 yards and 94 touchdowns. He served as co-offensive coordinator in 2022. Key brought him back to Atlanta to complete his revamped coaching staff, knowing he was adding an up-and-coming who’s well-acquainted with the state.
“That’s one thing that I was very excited about (returning to Georgia),” Crawford said earlier this week. “Obviously, I spent 10 years in the state coaching high school football and some really, really good programs. That allowed me to establish some really good relationships with a lot of coaches in the state and also have an opportunity to coach a lot of good players. So coaching in the state helped me from a relationship standpoint.
“I was very fortunate to be in some of the top programs in the state, in the Southeast, which I felt like prepared me from a coaching standpoint, from a work ethic standpoint, to be able to translate at this level and do a good job. I’m very grateful to that. I say that all the time. I’m very grateful for my high school tenure. I think it’s had a big-time effect on any success that I’ve been able to have at this level.”
At Tech, Crawford will coach a collection of receivers whose best days should be ahead of them. The small-but-speedy Malik Rutherford could be Tech’s best weapon this fall. Newcomer Christian Leary, another player with speed, had only 10 catches at Alabama. A former four-star recruit, he could bloom with more opportunity. Abdul Janneh, a transfer from Duquesne, has impressed Rutherford this spring. Junior Chase Lane (a transfer from Texas A&M), redshirt freshman D.J. Moore and junior Avery Boyd are among a congested group of wideouts seeking snaps.
Crawford emphasizes a “cheetah and gazelle mentality.” He explained that means his players always need to be aware that someone is coming for their spot. That any lackluster day, any focus lapse, can open an opportunity for someone competing for your job.
“We’re a brotherhood. I want those guys to be teammates, but at the end of the day, they know that they’re competing, and they also know that they’re pushing each other,” Crawford said. “That’s one thing that I’ve been pleased with is these guys are learning how to practice and they’re coming to practice every day trying to push each other and eventually win a spot.”
If the Yellow Jackets hope to make sizable progress in 2023, their receivers’ growth will be crucial. They don’t know their quarterback yet (whoever it is will need some help). Their offensive line is a work in progress. They aren’t stacked with five stars or heralded recruits, still being in the ripe stages of a rebuild following the previous failed regime. Offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner plans to emphasize speed in space, but skill players need more than just fast feet.
“(Crawford) is a great teacher, man,” Rutherford said. “He coaches us really hard. He coaches us all the same, even the walk-ons. He told us from the beginning, he’d coach the walk-ons just like the scholarship players. He’s a great coach overall. He does a lot of great things.”
It’s that attitude, that style that’s earned Crawford this position. Key valued him for his player-development ability and unique perspective. Crawford’s energy and familiarity with Georgia should only help on the recruiting trail, too.
“When I was putting together the staff, I wanted coaches who’ve coached across all three levels, NFL, college, high school,” Key said. “Guys with experience coaching a lot of different types of ball. One thing, when you coach high school ball, you’re not going out and recruiting guys. It’s who lives in your zone, your area, and you’re coaching those guys up. You really see those traits in Josh. You see the traits and ability to really coach anybody up. It’s not just coaching the starters, the top-two guys, it’s all 10, 12, 14 guys, and Josh coaches them exactly the same. You see the elevation of them.
“The connection he has with them off the field where he has the ability to be real and honest and coach them hard. At the same time, they (our coaches) know there’s a care factor there off the field. He’s coaching them to become better. We all want to be coached and taught and motivated to play at a high level. He’s done that. The teacher in him is what I really think comes through as a coach. A lot of that comes from having 12 years at the high-school level. His ability as a recruiter – I’d be hard press to say I’ve seen anybody who works harder than he does at the recruiting game.”
Crawford has gotten plenty of high praise over the years, which led Key to him. The infectious passion for helping young players make the most of themselves stood out to Cokely early. The two maintain a good relationship, with Cokely continuing to touch base with Crawford as he ascends the coaching ranks.
“Josh is a unique guy,” Cokely said. “When I hired him, I knew it was right. I’ve been around a long time. I’ve interviewed a lot of people. … I believed when Josh came in, he made an impression on me. The impression was, he was serious about becoming great at coaching football. He went the extra mile. He did all the grunt work with the right spirit. Obviously, he has worked his way up, but nobody gave him anything. That’s the thing that I loved about Josh. He didn’t come in expecting a title or expecting anything given to him. He came in just asking for an opportunity. And I don’t think he’s any different than that today. That’s why it served him so well.
“I’m just super proud. I couldn’t be more proud of him. Josh lives his life the right way. And, you know, being a Christian guy like I am, it’s just really important for me to highlight guys like him, who made a sacrifice in their personal lives to live right and to do the right thing. So I’m very proud that he’s the receivers coach at Tech. But I’m even more proud that he’s the receivers coach at Tech and lives his life the right way.”
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