Crane’s new colors: orange and blue

Published 8:06 am Saturday, May 12, 2012

Former Southeast Whitfield head football coach David Crane has found a new home at what was once a rival school.

Crane, who was fired earlier this spring after four seasons leading the Raiders, is the newest addition to Northwest Whitfield coach Josh Robinson’s staff.

“Coach Robinson and I had talked several weeks ago when I first lost the job at Southeast,” Crane said. “In the days and weeks after that we talked a little bit, and as it became closer to spring ball, we continued talking and it became official then.”

Robinson said he and Crane “have always had a good relationship” dating back to Robinson’s time as defensive coordinator for the Bruins. When Southeast principal Karey Williams asked Crane to resign as coach or be fired in March — while also doing the same to his wife, former Lady Raiders basketball coach Elizabeth Crane — it ignited conversations that led to the move.

“It came out in the paper and everything, and he and I talked after that,” Robinson said. “We had a few conversations, and I know he had a lot of offers. He had a few kids in our community and decided that’s where he wanted to be.”

Crane, called a “great offensive mind” by Robinson, will work with running backs and quarterbacks under offensive coordinator Shay White, who served as defensive coordinator for the 2011 season.

When Crane took over at Southeast in 2007, he installed a spread offense that broke a multitude of program records during his time leading the Raiders, who scored 40 or more points in five games last year.

“He’s been a great addition to the coaching staff and for me as a head coach because he is experienced …,” Robinson said. “It could be a tough experience to bring on someone who is that experienced, but coach White has been outstanding and accepting to everything coach Crane has done.”

Northwest, which went 6-4 overall and in Region 7-4A last season, started its 10-day spring practice period on Tuesday.

“It’s kind of catch-up for me because I just came on board in the last two weeks and am learning the terminology and everything with the offense. But it’s been really good,” Crane said. “Anytime you go through a change in this profession, there’s a little bit of uncertainty about what is next. So knowing where I am going to be is a positive, and it has been good getting back out there and coaching again.”

Neither of the Cranes were fired as teachers, but Williams said at the time their coaching tenures ended that they would be reassigned to new schools next year. David Crane expects to teach at New Hope Middle for the 2012-2013 school year, although that may change.

“There is a possibility that I may be at Northwest High, but we won’t know that until we get closer into the summer or even August,” he said.

He said his wife will teach at Coahulla Creek but does not have a coaching position lined up yet within the district.

Crane accumulated an 8-32 record in his four seasons at Southeast, including 2009’s 5-5 finish, the school’s best record since 1992 and one of only four non-losing seasons in the past 25 years. The Raiders haven’t had a winning season since going 6-5 in 1986, and they were officially 1-9 this past season after forfeiting two victories because of the use of an ineligible player.

Crane has been replaced by Sean Gray, who previously coached football at Southeast feeder school Valley Point Middle and was the head coach at Ringgold High from 2003 to 2006.

The Bruins and Raiders haven’t played since 2009, but they will be in the same region again next school year when the GHSA’s new six-classification system is implemented. They’ll face off Oct. 26 at Bruin Stadium.