Penn State Sports Magazine
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A P R I L 2 0 2 6 13 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M T he first domino in an offseason of change for the Penn State men's bas- ketball program fell on March 18 when Joe Crispin accepted the vacant head coach- ing position at Air Force Academy. In a prepared statement announcing his impending arrival in Colorado Springs, Colo., Crispin called the appointment an "incredible honor." "I am excited for the opportunity to build upon the mission of the Academy," he said, "and to cultivate a brand of bas- ketball that is distinctively Air Force: Fly. Fight. Win. I am confident that as we cul- tivate men of integrity, service, and excel- lence in everything, our team will compete at the highest level and play in a way that makes our entire Academy community proud." Crispin, a former Nittany Lion player who starred in the team's sprint to the Sweet 16 in 2001, had returned to his alma mater in July 2023 as an assistant to head coach Mike Rhoades. His hiring was made possible by new NCAA rules that permit- ted Division I staffs to have as many as five assistants, two more than previously allowed. The new coaches were for skills instruction and were not permitted to re- cruit off-campus. In welcoming Crispin to the staff, Rhoades said he would have a positive im- pact on players and his fellow assistants. "I have great respect for Joe. He goes about life in the game very much like the rest of our staff — family and basket- ball," Rhoades said. "That's how we all are around here. He shows that off every day. He has very good relationships, and he's a great communicator with our players. I think that's really helped us. "He's brought in some new things to our program. But also, there are things he and I will talk about, and we might not have the answers. He'll go home and I'll go home, and we'll come back the next day and fig- ure them out. He's a hoop head like the rest of us, just trying to find things that are go- ing to help this team win. I love it. I love a different approach. I love his personality." At Air Force, Crispin is taking over for interim coach Jon Jordan. The Falcons have four NCAA Tournament appearances in their history, the most recent coming in 2006. They last won the Mountain West Conference in 2004. This past season, Air Force finished last in the Mountain West with an 0-20 con- ference record (3-29 overall). Head coach Joe Scott was suspended in January while the academy conducted an investigation into his treatment of players. He was re- lieved of his position on Feb. 20. Scott had turned the program around in the early 2000s, leading the Falcons to a 22-7 record and an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2003-04 before leaving for Princeton. He returned in 2020 but was less successful in his second stint. Scott went 46-120 over the past six seasons be- fore giving way to Jordan and eventually to Crispin. The move for Crispin comes after three seasons on Rhoades' staff. The Woodbury, N.J., native had returned to Penn State fol- lowing a seven-year tenure as head coach at Rowan University where he led the Profs to a 114-54 record with three NCAA Divi- sion III Tournament appearances. At Penn State, he held the title of offen- sive coordinator and helped the Nittany Lions set a program record for scoring at 79.1 points per game during the 2024-25 campaign. That performance followed a 2023-24 season in which PSU averaged 75.1 points per game en route to a 16-17 overall record and a 9-11 mark in Big Ten play. This past season marked a step back on multiple fronts in Rhoades' third year at the helm. After compiling a 9-2 noncon- ference record, Penn State went 3-17 in Big Ten play and lost to Northwestern in the first round of the conference tournament in Chicago. Averaging 73.7 points per game, the Nittany Lions ranked No. 237 nationally in scoring while finishing 12-20 overall. ■ Crispin oversaw Penn State's offense during his three seasons as an assistant on Mike Rhoades' staff. The 2024-25 Nittany Lions set a program record with their 79.1-point scoring average. PHOTO COURTESY PENN STATE ATHLETICS PSU's Joe Crispin Is Hired As Head Coach At Air Force N A T E B A U E R | N AT E . B A U E R @ O N 3 . C O M