Bishop Diego football coach Tom Crawford has been honored by CalHiSports.com as the State Coach of the Year for Small Schools.
Crawford guided the Cardinals to a semifinal berth in the CIF-Southern Section Northern Division (Division 3) playoffs, a 12-1 record and a Tri-Valley League championship. Bishop Diego played three much larger schools in its playoff run, knocking off Newbury Park (53-47) and Palmdale (48-6) before falling to eventual division champion Camarillo.
Before becoming a football coach and teacher, Crawford practiced law in the Los Angeles area. He has been the head football coach at Bishop Diego for 16 years. Over the last five seasons, he and his staff have directed the program to a 55-9 record and four CIF semifinal appearances — Division 3 in 2015, Division 10 in 2013, 2012 and Division 12 in 2011.
Crawford is the first Small Schools State Coach of the Year from Santa Barbara County since Coley Candaele at Carpinteria High in 2002. Candaele is now coaching at Vista Murrieta.
— Noozhawk sports editor Barry Punzal can be reached at bpunzal@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.