Steve Crutchley was named wide receivers coach at North Dakota State University in February 2023 after spending one season as the running backs coach at the University of North Dakota.
North Dakota State's passing game had a resurgence in 2023. NDSU made 226 receptions for 2,977 yards, which was the most by a Bison team since 2014. NDSU also had two 600-yard receivers for the first time since 2014 in senior Zach Mathis (665) and sophomore Eli Green (877).
He coached 2024 All-Missouri Valley Football Conference wide receiver Bryce Lance, who made 75 catches for 1,071 yards, the second most catches and third most yards in NDSU single-season history. Lance led the FCS with a school-record 17 receiving touchdowns, which tied the MVFC record.
Crutchley came to NDSU with nine years of experience in the Missouri Valley Football Conference and also spent five years at the FBS level as offensive analyst at Temple from 2019 to 2021 and wide receivers coach at Northern Illinois in 2017 and 2018.
Crutchley was the running backs coach at Southern Illinois from 2008 to 2012 alongside offensive coordinator and current NDSU quarterbacks coach Randy Hedberg, and he coached running backs from 2013 to 2015 at Western Illinois, where former NDSU head coach Matt Entz was the defensive coordinator in 2013.
At UND, Crutchley coached all-conference running back Tyler Hoosman and assisted with special teams coaching returners. UND ranked third in the FCS averaging 20.2 yards per punt return and ranked seventh with 26.0 yards per kickoff return. At Southern Illinois, he coached NFL running backs Jewel Hampton and Deji Karim and was part of back-to-back MVFC championship teams in 2008 and 2009.
Crutchley played wide receiver at Wisconsin-Eau Claire from 1996 to 1999. He was a captain on the 1998 conference championship football team and two-time national qualifier in the 4x100-meter relay on the Blugold track and field team. He was a conference indoor champion in the 200-meter dash and was named UW-Eau Claire's most valuable track athlete in 1998 and 1999.
Crutchley earned a bachelor's degree in social studies from Wisconsin-Eau Claire in 1999 and completed a master's degree in sport management at St. Cloud State in 2006. He began his coaching career at St. Cloud State in 2002 spending six seasons with the Huskies as wide receivers coach.
| Steve Crutchley Year-by-Year Coaching History |
| Year |
School |
Position |
| 2002 |
St. Cloud State |
Wide Receivers |
| 2003 |
St. Cloud State |
Wide Receivers |
| 2004 |
St. Cloud State |
Wide Receivers |
| 2005 |
St. Cloud State |
Wide Receivers |
| 2006 |
St. Cloud State |
Wide Receivers |
| 2007 |
St. Cloud State |
Wide Receivers |
| 2008 |
Southern Illinois |
Running Backs |
| 2009 |
Southern Illinois |
Running Backs |
| 2010 |
Southern Illinois |
Running Backs |
| 2011 |
Southern Illinois |
Running Backs |
| 2012 |
Southern Illinois |
Running Backs |
| 2013 |
Western Illinois |
Running Backs |
| 2014 |
Western Illinois |
Running Backs |
| 2015 |
Western Illinois |
Running Backs |
| 2016 |
Eau Claire Memorial HS |
Head Coach |
| 2017 |
Northern Illinois |
Wide Receivers |
| 2018 |
Northern Illinois |
Wide Receivers |
| 2019 |
Temple |
Offensive Analyst |
| 2020 |
Temple |
Offensive Analyst |
| 2021 |
Temple |
Offensive Analyst |
| 2022 |
North Dakota |
Running Backs |
| 2023 |
North Dakota State |
Wide Receivers |
| 2024 |
North Dakota State |
Wide Receivers |
