This week on Inside the Headset, we are featuring Dallas Spruce High School (TX) Defensive Coordinator, Dwain Crawford. Coach Crawford speaks on the valuable lessons he learned as a young coach, details his personal experience working in athletic performance at the collegiate level, and highlights the importance of having a learning mindset.

Dwain Crawford is currently the defensive coordinator at Dallas Spruce High School (TX). Prior to arriving at Dallas Spruce, Coach Crawford was the Co-Defensive Coordinator and defensive backs coach at Fort Lewis College where he spent three seasons leading a successful defensive unit. In 2013 Coach Crawford served as the defensive graduate assistant/safeties coach at the University of Wyoming. Before arriving at Wyoming, Crawford served as the strength and conditioning intern at Tulsa University during the 2012-13 season. While at Tulsa, Crawford mentored student-athletes and developed and implemented training plans for the sports of football, men’s golf, women’s basketball and volleyball.

Prior to Tulsa, Crawford coached football and track and field at First Baptist Academy in Dallas from August 2011 to May 2012. He served as a varsity assistant football coach and track coach at First Baptist Academy. He coached the defensive backs and wide receiving corps in football, and coached the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS) individual state champion in the 100-meter and 200-meter dash. Crawford was a four-year football letterman at Baylor University, where he played safety. He was a Big 12 Honorable Mention selection and earned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors. Crawford started 28 career games at Baylor. During his college career, Crawford also achieved Commissioners Honor Roll.

• [1:48] Start of Interview
• [2:26] Desire to get into coaching
• [4:17] Transitioning from playing to coaching
• [5:44] Lessons learned as a young coach
• [8:00] Working in athletic performance at the collegiate level
• [9:53] Importance of building relationships
• [13:43] Standing out as a GA
• [15:30] Being hungry to learn and grow
• [18:19] Taking time off from the game
• [20:46] Taking advantage of coaching clinics