Brent Crews joined the Arkansas State men’s basketball staff in 2020 as an assistant coach after five seasons as head coach at Thomas University (NAIA) in Thomasville, Ga.
Since arriving in Jonesboro, Crews has played an instrumental role in the improvement of the Arkansas State defense. In his first season at A-State, Crews helped the Red Wolves defense improve from a defensive field goal percentage of 45.6 percent in 2019-20 to 42.5 percent in 2020-21. The 3-point defense also saw improvement as the Red Wolves opponents shot 33.5 percent in 2020-21 after shooting 34.4 percent in 2019-20.
During the 2021-22 season, A-State limited opponents to 68.1 points per game, the fewest by a Red Wolves team since 2012-13. Per KenPom, A-State has improved defensively each of the last five seasons to an adjusted defensive ranking of 133 this season, the best since the 2012-13 campaign.
In his five seasons, Crews coached four All-Sun Conference players and seven Academic All-Sun Conference players. Crews joined the Night Hawks after serving as an assistant coach at the University of San Francisco for three seasons. He joined the Dons staff prior to the 2012-13 season as video coordinator, but was promoted midway through the season to assistant coach.
Prior to joining the staff at the University of San Francisco, Crews served as an assistant coach at Chipola College during the 2011-12 season. He also headed up the Florida Elite and Florida Family AAU teams from 2008-2011 and served as an individual trainer from 2007-2011.
A two-year letterwinner at Florida Atlantic, Crews averaged 5.2 points and 3.5 rebounds in 57 career games from 2005-07. A-State head coach Mike Balado was an assistant coach for the Owls during those seasons. As a junior, Crews started 26 of 27 games and led the team in assists (133), steals (43) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.66). He also set a program record for best turnover-to-assist ration in Atlantic Sun Conference games at 5.4. As a senior, Crews averaged 5.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, and dished out 140 assists from his point guard position in helping the Owls to a 16-15 overall record. He was named the team’s best defensive player.
Crews began his collegiate career at Chipola College where he helped lead the Indians to consecutive state and NJCAA Region VIII championships. The team combined for a 65-9 record and finished ranked in the Top 10 nationally in his two seasons (2003-05).
A native of Chipley, Fla., Crews earned his degree in social science from Florida Atlantic in 2007. Crews is joined by his wife Andrea, and their two children, Jaden and Jaxson.
