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Hillsborough High hires woman to coach boys basketball

Tribune photo by BILL WARD

Stephanie Crawford is the new boys basketball coach at Hillsborough High.

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By NICK WILLIAMS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 3, 2009

Updated: 06/03/2009 03:41 pm

TAMPA - Stephanie Crawford grew up in Safety Harbor, known by many as the young girl who could play basketball with the boys.

She starred at guard at Countryside High and went on to play collegiately and professionally, spending four years in the All-Armed Forces Women's Basketball League with the Air Force women's team. Crawford eventually entered the coaching ranks, guiding high school and summer travel teams in the Bay area.

But on Tuesday, she recorded a new career milestone.

Crawford, 38, accepted the boys varsity basketball head coaching position at Hillsborough High, becoming the only woman in Hillsborough County to take over a premier boys program.

During the process of hiring a boys varsity basketball coach, Hillsborough Principal William Orr didn't focus on gender. Instead, he looked for experience.

In the end, his administration decided on Crawford to replace Andre Lewis, who resigned from the position in April.

"She really had impeccable qualifications and really good references," Orr said. "I think she's highly qualified."

"My dream was to coach a men's team," Crawford said. "I'm not nervous about my ability. I'm just ready to get busy."

Jennifer Burchill has worked as the Hillsborough County Public Schools assistant athletic director for nine years. A former coach herself, she views the hire as groundbreaking in Hillsborough County.

"There just really hasn't been (a female coach) in a premier major sport since I've been here," she said. "We do have several women that coach boys sports. (Hillsborough) had to have felt very strongly about it."

Crawford, who last season coached the girls varsity team at East Lake, inherits a program that is coming off one of its best seasons in recent memory, capturing the Class 5A District 10 title, its first district title since 1996, and making its first playoff appearance since 2002. The Terriers lost to eventual state-runner up Clearwater in the region semifinals and ended the season with a 21-9 record.

"Had they not come off a good season, (the players) first response would have been 'we have a female coach on top of this,'" Crawford said.

The news sent shockwaves throughout the boys basketball community.

"It actually came as a surprise to me," said Lewis, now the head boys coach at Strawberry Crest, which opens in the fall. "I thought one of the assistants would have taken over for me. Its all about how these kids will adjust to her."

"I never had a (female) coach," said Hillsborough High junior guard Alvon Woodard, who averaged 9.9 points per game for the Terriers last season. "To me, it doesn't matter what kind of coach it is. If they can play, they can play."

Crawford expected some resistance to the idea of a woman coaching boys basketball.

"I don't see gender," she said. "That's like saying a woman can't be a principal or an athletic director. What's the big deal? Men are coaching women's sports all over. It's never a question. Women offer just as much."

Tom Mosca has coached basketball for 35 years, his last six with the Jefferson girls team. He said the players at Hillsborough can react favorably, or reject the idea.

"It's a little more about the acceptance part of the players," he said. "There could be some separation there. Players are always going to push you and all it takes is one of them to do that."

"It could go in reverse. They could say 'we have a lady coach and she knows what she's doing'. Then they go to extreme lengths to make her happy."

Reporter Nick Williams can be reached at (813) 259-7851

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