PAUL CROWLEY has led the Christopher Newport University football program to great success over his first three seasons, and is guiding the Captains in the 25th season of CNU football in 2025.
Crowley has compiled a record of 21-10 (.677) overall and 15-3 (.833) in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC). Last fall, the 2008 CNU graduate and former All-Conference Offensive Lineman, guided the Captains to their third straight regular season record of 7-3. Christopher Newport finished second in the New Jersey Athletic Conference with its third-straight 5-1 NJAC mark.
In 2023, in just his second season at the helm, Crowley led the Captains back to the NCAA Division III Tournament for the first time since 2014. His 2023 squad captured CNU's first-ever NJAC Championship since joining the league in 2015, and finished the season with a 7-4 overall record and a 5-1 mark in the NJAC. Crowley and his staff were recognized by the NJAC as the Co-Coaching Staff of the Year.
Crowley's first team, in 2022, recorded a 7-3 overall record, and finished second in the NJAC with a 5-1 mark in conference play. Crowley’s 2022 squad won six consecutive games en route to its 7-3 final mark.
Crowley was named the third Head Football Coach in Christopher Newport University history on December 8, 2021, after serving as the program's interim coach for just over a month. The former standout Captains offensive lineman is heading into his sixteenth season of college coaching in 2024, and his fourteenth at CNU. In addition to serving as Head Coach, he also mentors the Captains quarterbacks.
Crowley served on the staff of Matt Kelchner for eight seasons from 2009-2016, as well as the staff of Art Link for three years from 2019-2021. During his tenure, he rose to the level of recruiting coordinator while also working with multiple position groups, including running backs, wide receivers, tight ends and offensive linemen.
The 2024 CNU squad won its final five games of the year, and was led by sophomore quarterback Connor Berry, who averaged 195 yards passing per game and threw for 15 scores. The Captains also featured a dynamic rushing attack, as junior Gunner White (15) and sophomore transfer Jordin Lennon (8) combined for 23 rushing scores and averaged a combined 138 yards per game. The Captains averaged a remarkable 36.9 points per game, while on defense allowing just 20.6.
Crowley's first two CNU squads were led by 2022 NJAC Offensive Player of the Year Matt Dzierski, and 2023 NJAC Offensive Player of the Year Gunner White. Dzierski threw 22 touchdown passes and ran for 16 more over the two-year period. White, meanwhile, rushed for ten scores and caught four TD passes while rushing for 762 yards in 11 games in 2023 as a sophomore. Crowley’s CNU offense averaged nearly 25 points a game in 2022, and scored almost 28 points per game in 2023. The Captains also have shown tremendous improvement on defense, and led the NJAC in 2023 by allowing just 15.9 points per game.
Christopher Newport’s primary play-caller during the 2015 and 2016 campaigns, Crowley led the Captains to two of the top four passing seasons in school history. Additionally, the squad ranked among the NJAC’s top two passing offenses both years, as quarterbacks Tyler Quigley and KJ Kearney both earned All-NJAC distinction, while Kearney set the single-season school record for completion percentage in 2016.
In addition to the accolades earned by the Captains’ signal-callers during those two seasons, Crowley also produced an all-conference standout during every season in which he was a full-time coach. Highlighting the list of players who benefited from Crowley’s tutelage were Wide Receivers Taylor Loudan, the 2016 NJAC Offensive Player of the Year, and Rudy Rudolph, a four-time all-conference standout. As the running backs coach in 2014, Crowley helped Daquan Davis record 16 touchdowns en route to earning All-USA South distinction.
The Virginia Beach native left Christopher Newport and spent two seasons coaching the running backs at the College of William and Mary in 2017 and 2018, He returned to the Captains coaching staff in 2019.
A First Team All-USA South Center with the Captains, Crowley played for CNU from 2005-08. He was also a first-team All-Virginia selection in Division II-III. Crowley was born in Midland, Texas. He and his wife, Tayler Stanley-Crowley, reside in Toano, VA, with their sons, Jack and Sam.
