Last Updated on January 23, 2025 10:31 am
BOONE, N.C. — App State Football head coach Dowell Loggains announced Thursday the hiring of Jeff Crosby as the Mountaineers’ special teams coordinator.
Crosby has assisted with the Texas Longhorns’ special teams for the last four seasons after similar stints at Washington and Southern Miss.
“Jeff has been at the forefront of special teams innovation, and we’re excited to welcome him and his wife, Hanna, to the App Family,” Loggains said. “His experiences at Texas, Washington and Southern Miss have prepared him well for this opportunity at App State.”
In his 10 years on staffs at the FBS level, Crosby has worked with two College Football Playoff teams and eight bowl teams, including appearances at the Cotton, Fiesta, Peach, Rose and Sugar Bowls.
“I'm incredibly grateful to Coach Loggains and App State for this opportunity to join the Mountaineers,” Crosby said. “I'm excited to bring energy and passion to this new chapter. App State has a storied tradition and a bright future, and I look forward to helping this program achieve great things both on and off the field.”
In Texas’ first season in the SEC and fourth under head coach Steve Sarkisian, Crosby worked with a Longhorns team that went 11-1 in the regular season and lost to Georgia in overtime in the SEC Championship Game before going 2-1 in the CFP with wins over Clemson and Arizona State and a loss to Ohio State in the semifinals. Kicker Bert Auburn broke the all-time school record for field goals made. The Longhorns’ kick return defense led the SEC and ranked 13th nationally at 16.57 yards per return, while the punt return unit was fourth in the SEC and top 40 nationally at 10.5 yards per return.
In 2023, Auburn connected on a Big 12-record 19 consecutive field goals on his way to All-Big 12 first-team honors. He was joined on the first team by Xavier Worthy, who led the Big 12 and ranked second in the nation averaging 16.9 yards per punt return. As a unit, Texas also ranked 10th in the nation with three blocked kicks and was 16th in the nation with a net punting average of 41.76.
The 2022 season saw Auburn make 21 of 26 field goal attempts in his first season as the starting kicker. Texas blocked four kicks, the 10th-most in the nation, including three punts, the seventh-best mark in the FBS. The Longhorns were 14th in the nation in punt return defense (3.09 yards/return) and 22nd in kickoff return defense (17.23 yards/return).
In Crosby’s first season in Austin in 2021, Texas tied for the FBS lead with four blocked punts while ranking fourth nationally with five total blocked kicks. Additionally, the Longhorns ranked 10th in the nation in punt return average allowed (2.86) and 38th in punt return average (10.13). Cameron Dicker was named a semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award while also being named first-team All-Big 12 as a punter and honorable mention as a placekicker after ranking ninth nationally in punting average (46.8 ypp) and 14th in field-goal percentage (13-of-15, 86.7).
In his four seasons in Seattle with head coaches Chris Petersen and Jimmy Lake, Washington compiled a 31-13 record with three bowl appearances. The 2019 Huskies team set a school record for punt average, while kicker Peyton Henry finished 19-for-21 on field goals. In 2017, the special teams unit included a consensus All-American in Dante Pettis, who set an NCAA record for career punt return touchdowns.
Crosby earned his first FBS position as an offensive quality control coach at Southern Miss in 2015 before transitioning to special teams in 2016.
A quarterback at Bakersfield College and Cal Lutheran, Crosby graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Northern Arizona University in 2015. He is married to Hanna Ralston.
CROSBY AT A GLANCE
Coaching Experience
2012-14: Bakersfield College (Offensive assistant)
2015: Southern Miss (Offensive quality control)
2016: Southern Miss (Special teams quality control)
2017-20: Washington (Special teams quality control)
2021-24: Texas (Senior analyst – Special teams)
Playing Experience
2004: Cal Lutheran University (QB)
2005: Bakersfield College (QB)
Alma Mater: Northern Arizona, 2015
Hometown: Bakersfield, Calif.
Wife: Hanna Ralston
Twitter: @CoachJCros
Bowls Coached
2015: Heart of Dallas (Southern Miss)
2016: New Orleans (Southern Miss)
2017: Fiesta (Washington)
2018: Rose (Washington)
2019: Las Vegas (Washington)
2022: Alamo (Texas)
2023: Sugar – CFP (Texas)
2024: CFP First Round, Peach – CFP, Cotton – CFP (Texas)
