ST. GEORGE — Greg Croshaw is not someone who cares much for accolades.
Sitting down with St. George News, he didn’t seem interested in listening to a recap of his lifetime spent in and around football.
According to a press release from the National Junior College Athletic Association, Croshaw is, “is one of the most successful coaches in NJCAA football history.”
Croshaw was head football coach at Dixie State College (now Utah Tech University) for 24 years. He amassed a 214-56-1 record, third all-time in coaching wins in the association.
“I refuse to have a tie,” Croshaw clarified. “I don’t know how I can get a tie.”
Croshaw led Dixie State to 17 Western State Football League (WSFL) titles. He led teams in St. George to 20 bowl game appearances, posting a lifetime 15-5 record in the postseason.
The veteran coach was named WSFL Coach of the Year eight different times and won Utah Collegiate Coach of the Year five times.
“Coaches say this all the time, you never think of that, you’re worried about the next game, the next season, the next set of recruits. You just keep doing it,” Croshaw said with a shrug.
Croshaw earned one more award for a career and legacy that continue to this day. At the end of November, the NJCAA announced that Croshaw is one of four inductees into its Hall of Fame.
“It’s a great honor, there’s no question about that,” Croshaw said. “There’s so many people you need to thank.”
Longtime assistant coaches Wade Roberts, Kelly Smith and Gordon Jolley made things easy for Croshaw.
“That was a real key to the success, was keeping our staff together,” Croshaw said.
Over the years, the closely knit group of coaches developed a routine that worked and didn’t need much tinkering.
“I was able to be a head coach and be as excited about getting ready, recruiting and playing games, but I was never at the stadium in our office past 6 o’clock at night,” Croshaw said.
“I was home to all of our kids’ basketball, football games, whatever,” he added. “I wasn’t at the mercy of the head coach getting a new job or getting fired. It just couldn’t have worked out any better for us.”
Family and football are the same thing for Croshaw. His wife and four children were part of both worlds during his long career.
“I was fortunate enough that all three of our sons got a chance to play for me,” Croshaw said. “Our daughter was the trainer for us.”
Croshaw said family tradition dictated that when they were growing up, if the children got 100 percent on their spelling words, they’d get to go on the bus rides for Dixie State’s road games.
“Those kids never missed a spelling word,” he said. “So it was just a whole family set up.”
Looking back on his career, Croshaw said the one thing he feels more than any other is gratitude.
“I can’t thank the city of St. George enough for the lives that they touched. The support,” he said. “I can’t tell you the number of kids who came here that had no idea that you could live like this.”
Croshaw vividly recalls days in the 80’s and 90’s when people left their car keys in the ignition and never locked their doors.
“This was in an earlier time when St. George was much smaller,” Croshaw said. “The lives that this city effected of those that played football was unbelievable.”
Things have changed, obviously, but that was the kind of community it was, he added. And the players just loved it.
“They’d say, you know, they just couldn’t believe that you could live like that. That affected and touched a lot of young men,” Croshaw said. “And I just happened to be the right guy at the right time and at the right place. But I’m so thankful to have been in that position.”
At Dixie State, Croshaw coached 62 All-Americans and 17 All-Academics.
Standouts who went on to play in the pros after playing for Croshaw include Corey Dillon, a running back who won the Super Bowl with New England in 2004.
Offensive lineman Barry Sims had a solid career with the Raiders, compiling a 67 consecutive games started streak until an injury sidelined him in 2006.
Doug Jolley didn’t play for Croshaw but he was the first native of St. George to start in a Super Bowl, for the Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII. Doug Jolley is Croshaw’s former assistant Gordon Jolley’s son.
“For me it’s great seeing former players’ and coaches’ sons in the game. Family,” Croshaw said.
The coach described the process of building winning teams at Dixie State, year after year.
“Every year we had the sophomores, guys who had been there and played for us, and then we had the new guys. It was about 50/50,” Croshaw said. “The older guys would kind of get the snowball rolling down the hill, then the news guys learned what we were trying to do and bought into it.”
Photo Gallery
NJCAA Hall of Fame inductee Greg Croshaw flanked by players after a big win for Dixie State, date unspecified | Photo by Doris Croshaw, St. George News
Scrapbook photos of NJCAA Hall of Fame inductee Greg Croshaw, date unspecified | Photo by Doris Croshaw, St. George News
Greg and Doris Croshaw moved to St. George in 1981 and he coached football at Dixie State College for 24 years, date unspecified | Photo by Doris Croshaw, St. George News
NJCAA Hall of Fame inductee Greg Croshaw flanked by sons Marc (54) and Jace (7) after a big win for Dixie State, date unspecified | Photo by Doris Croshaw, St. George News
Longtime Dixie State College coach Greg Croshaw was inducted into the NJCCA Hall of Fame, St. George, Utah, Jan. 20, 2023 | Photo by Doris Croshaw for St. George News
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