SFA, offensive coordinator Gary Crowton part ways after two seasons

Stephen F. Austin will welcome the spring football season in the coming weeks without offensive coordinator Gary Crowton, a source confirms to The Sawmill.

The former BYU head coach, who ran the Lumberjacks offense over the past two seasons, had recently held the same title at Southern Utah and LSU, after a long career that included stints with Boston College, Georgia Tech, Louisiana Tech, Oregon, Maryland and the Chicago Bears of the NFL.

SFA's offenses under Crowton were marred by injuries at the offensive line and quarterback positions and ranked ninth in the 11 team Southland Conference in 2017 with 19.6 points per game. Notably, transfer quarterback Foster Sawyer, who arrived in Nacogdoches looking like an answer at signal caller, injured his knee during the summer before a season-ending tear of his ACL during the fourth game of the season.

Even with the adversity, sources tell The Sawmill that head coach Clint Conque, an offensive mind by trade, has taken the struggles on that side of the ball personally. The circumstances of Crowton's departure, although not specifically clear, may signal an effort by Conque to assert a bigger role in the offensive meeting rooms.

The Lumberjacks, who also lost running backs coach Jake Brown to TCU, are expected to add at least one assistant on the offensive side of the ball following National Signing Day. The title of the open positions remain to be determined, but could involve a scenario where Conque effectively coordinates the offense.

SFA enters the offseason with one of the better quarterback situations in the Southland Conference as Sawyer, who is expected to return from injury, junior Jake Blumrick, who started seven games for the Lumberjacks this past season, transfer Josh Covey and sophomore Zach Smith are expected to compete for the starting nod.

That competition will be held inside a tweaked offensive system, regardless of who is leading it moving forward.