Follow Coach Crocker on Twitter: @Coach_Crock
Recruiting Areas:
• North Carolina (Piedmont Triad), Eastern Pennsylvania, Delaware and New England
Now in his third season at Elon in the fall of 2021, Billy Crocker was named the program's defensive coordinator on Jan. 5, 2019 after the elevation of Tony Trisciani from defensive coordinator to head coach. Crocker joined Elon's staff after serving two years as the defensive coordinator for Randy Edsall at UConn. Before that, Crocker spent 12 years at Villanova, which included five as the defensive coordinator with Trisciani serving as a defensive coach under his leadership.
In Crocker's first season in 2019, Greg Liggs, Jr. took his game to a new level in setting the program's FCS single-season interception record with eight throughout the team's 11 games. A Buck Buchanan Award finalist and a First Team All-CAA Football honoree, Liggs was also named a unanimous First Team All-American, picking up six All-America honors after the conclusion of the 2019 campaign. Crocker also coached Marcus WIlloughby to his best season in maroon and gold with the Durham, N.C., product being named a Second Team All-CAA Football honoree after finishing with 7.0 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss on the way to signing an undrafted free agent contract in April 2020 with the Baltimore Ravens.
Continuing to build on the 3-3-5 foundation Trisciani brought to Elon, Crocker's unit shined in 2019 by forcing 21 turnovers. In all, the unit led CAA Football during the regular season with a plus-9 turnover margin, which included five games with at least two takeaways and four contests with three or more.
During the unique spring 2021 campaign, Crocker leaned on a pair of second-team all-conference honorees in the secondary in Cole Coleman and Jalen Greene. The defense was top 10 nationally in fumbles recovered and top 30 in total turnovers forced. The unit also held No. 1 James Madison to just 20 points (including a lone field goal in the first half) in a near-upset of the Dukes.
Before his time at UConn, Crocker guided one of the nation's top defensive units year in and year out at Villanova. In all, four of his five groups from 2012-16 ranked as one of the top two statistically in the CAA. In his final season with the Wildcats in 2016, Villanova ranked No. 1 in the country in giving up just 15 points per game while also leading the FCS in total defense with 259.9 yards per game allowed. His unit also ranked third in red zone defense and fourth in rushing defense.
The previous season in 2015, Crocker's defense gave up 18.4 points per game to finish second in CAA Football and 11th nationally. The Wildcats also ranked second in the league in total defense with just 309.1 yards per game and finished fourth nationally in red zone defense, allowing just 18 scores in 31 attempts.
The 2014 campaign saw the Wildcats allow 22.1 points per game, but Villanova led the CAA and ranked eighth nationally in rushing defense at 106.7 yards per contest. Crocker's defense also ranked in the Top 25 in three other categories, including turnovers forced (17th), tackles for loss (23rd) and opponent third down percentage (25th). Under Crocker's direction, linebacker Don Cherry tallied 134 tackles – 21.5 for loss – with 10 sacks on the way to being named a First Team All-American and a First Team All-CAA performer while placing second in the Buck Buchanan voting for national defensive player of the year.
Before serving as Villanova's defensive coordinator, Crocker was the team's linebackers coach and special teams coordinator in 2011. During that season, he guided then-freshman linebacker and current Elon assistant coach
Dillon Lucas to Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in both the CAA and ECAC while earning Third Team All-CAA Football recognition after recording a team-high 92 tackles throughout his first season with the program.
Prior to his one season as linebackers coach and special teams coordinator, Crocker spent his first five seasons at Villanova as the team's defensive line coach. Before joining Villanova, Crocker spent two seasons as the running backs coach at Albany in 2003 and 2004, helping the Great Danes to the 2003 NEC championship while tutoring Gary Jones to Third Team Associated Press All-America honors.
A defensive back at the United States Coast Guard Academy from 1997-2001, Crocker was a three-year letterwinner in football while also playing baseball for one season. He finished his education at Villanova in 2002, earning a degree in Business Administration. Crocker also completed his master's in Curriculum Development & Instructional Technology at Albany.
Crocker and his wife, Kristi, have three children – a son Ryan and twins Will and Bryn.
What They're Saying...
Trisciani on Crocker: "Billy Crocker is the right guy to lead our defense. I learned a lot of football working with him at Villanova when he was the defensive coordinator. During his 12 years at Villanova he coached all three levels of the 3-3-5 scheme, won a national championship in 2009 and developed multiple NFL linebackers. The continuity in scheme will only help our kids continue to play fast and physical. Billy is a great teacher and a proven recruiter and he, his wife Kristi and their three children – Ryan, Will and Bryn – will be great additions to the Elon community."
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Coaching Experience
|
| 2003-04 |
Running Backs, Albany |
| 2006-10 |
Defensive Line, Villanova |
| 2011 |
Special Teams Coordinator/Linebackers, Villanova |
| 2012-16 |
Defensive Coordinator, Villanova |
| 2017-18 |
Defensive Coordinator, UConn |
| 2019-Present |
Defensive Coordinator, Elon |
