Jim Crawford Steps Down at Camden Catholic

A South Jersey legend is stepping down at Camden Catholic.

Jim Crawford, the most successful Irish boys basketball head coach in history, is retiring from that position after 35 years and 713 wins, school officials announced Tuesday.

But the team will stay in the family, as Crawford’s son, Matt Crawford, will take over from his father, school officials said.

“To those who know me this will not come as a surprise,” Jim Crawford said. “I have enjoyed a rewarding career as head coach and the time has come for me to pass the torch. I discussed this plan a few years ago with my coaching staff and we have been preparing for it since.”

The father-son tandem have been working together to prepare for the transition, and Jim Crawford will stay on as an assistant coach, along with Robert and Joe Murtin, Peter Dooner and Mgr. Bob McDermott. The elder Crawford will also continue teaching in the high school’s math department, where he’s been since 1976.

“Matt has been working with me for several years now, and is well-equipped to continue the winning tradition of Camden Catholic basketball,” Jim Crawford said. “I look forward to assisting in a new role and staying involved in the program.”

Besides being an assistant coach and a science teacher at Camden Catholic, Matt Crawford is also a product of the program, having played under his father from 1995 to 1999, before playing college ball at University of the Sciences in Philadelphia.

He hailed his father’s successes and sky-high win total—Jim Crawford’s teams won 20 or more games a season for 23 years straight, a streak that ended in 2011—but said it’s not just the wins and championships that matter.

“What the people at Camden Catholic are most proud of is how hard his teams play, how his players conduct themselves, and how his teams represent our school in such a positive way,” Matt Crawford said. “I look forward to continuing the tradition."

Marlene Grimes, Camden Catholic’s director of athletics, called it a historic moment for the high school, and said the administration is glad to have both Crawfords still in the fold.

“The Crawford name has been synonymous with Camden Catholic basketball since Jim’s arrival at CCHS, to his sons’ and nephews’ time on the court, and now to the naming of Matt as head coach,” she said. “The Crawford legacy at Camden Catholic will continue, and for that we are excited.”

After he took over the reins of the program in 1977, it didn’t take long for Jim Crawford’s teams to find success—Camden Catholic won its first conference championship of the Crawford years in 1984, and added nine more after that, including one in 2010.

The Irish have also won seven sectional titles under the elder Crawford, as well as overall state titles in 2001, 2003 and 2010.

He got his 700th victory as head coach in a win over Lenape this past winter.

“I consider it a blessing to have had the opportunity to coach each and every player over these past 35 years,” said Jim Crawford. “Now, I have the pleasure to watch them grow in life knowing I had something to do with their direction. I have a love for basketball and a passion for Camden Catholic.