LEONARDTOWN, Md. – St. Mary’s Ryken is proud to announce the appointment of Marcus Crawford as the new Head Coach of the girls basketball program. Crawford will also join the faculty as an English teacher for the upcoming school year.
Crawford brings a dynamic combination of coaching success, classroom experience, and program-building expertise to the SMR community. Most recently, he served as Head Girls Basketball Coach at Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School in Florida, where he led a remarkable turnaround—improving the team from a 3–14 record to 14–9 in his first season and guiding the program to its first district semifinal appearance in five years.
Under his leadership, the team also achieved a 3.95 GPA, reflecting Crawford’s strong emphasis on academic accountability and character development.
“Marcus is a program builder who understands what it takes to compete at a high level while developing student-athletes of strong character,” said Principal Dr. Tom Campbell. “His energy, vision, and commitment to excellence make him an outstanding addition to our athletics program and our faculty.”
Crawford’s coaching background includes experience at both the collegiate and high school levels. He served as a women’s basketball assistant coach at Saint Leo University, where he helped develop multiple all-conference players, contributed to victories over nationally ranked teams, and played a key role in recruiting and player development.
He also coached at Trinity Collegiate School and most recently worked with Team Durant on the Nike EYBL circuit, coaching elite-level athletes and preparing them for collegiate competition.
In addition to his coaching experience, Crawford has a strong background in education. He previously taught English at Trinity Collegiate School and currently teaches mathematics at Bishop McLaughlin, demonstrating his versatility and commitment to student growth in the classroom.
Crawford holds a Master of Business Administration from Saint Leo University and a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Clemson University.
“I am honored to join the St. Mary’s Ryken community,” said Crawford. “My goal is to build a program rooted in discipline, accountability, and daily growth—one that competes at a high level in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference while developing confident leaders prepared for success beyond basketball.”
At St. Mary’s Ryken, Crawford plans to establish a clear program identity focused on player development, strong team culture, and long-term success both on and off the court.
The girls basketball program competes in the highly competitive WCAC, one of the premier high school athletic conferences in the country.
For more information about the SMR athletics program, please visit www.smrhs.org/athletics.