A coach for a decade at the FCS level, Mike Craig enters his sixth season as defensive coordinator in 2021.
Craig worked with an All-American in each of his initial four years with the program and has developed a combined 21 All-PSAC West selections, including a dozen first-team honorees. Cal U featured the 2018 PSAC West Athlete of the Year in defensive back Lamont McPhatter II before linebacker Noah Dillow was chosen the 2019 PSAC West Freshman of the Year.
In 2019, the Vulcans led NCAA Division II and finished fourth among all NCAA divisions in rushing defense by allowing just 56.5 yards per game. Cal U also finished eighth in the country in red-zone defense after limiting opponents to 13 touchdowns on 33 trips inside the 20-yard line. The Vulcans forced a staggering 29 turnovers (17 interceptions) to mark their highest total since the 2011 campaign.
The Cal U defense was recently anchored by McPhatter, who was the 2018 Super Region One Defensive Player of the Year and was nominated for the Harlon Hill Trophy. The standout defensive back was a consensus First-Team All-American as a junior and earned All-America status a combined eight times during his career.
In 2016, Craig transformed the Vulcans into one of the top defenses in the country, while helping the program capture its first league title since 2008. Cal U ranked fifth in the country in total defense at 277.6 yards per game and eighth in scoring defense at 16.7 points per game.
Craig spent the 2014 and 2015 seasons as the defensive coordinator at Saint Francis (Pa.) after working four years on the coaching staff at Duquesne. He started four seasons for the Red Flash and was a three-year captain before starting his coaching career as the special teams coordinator and linebackers coach in 2006.
In 2015, Craig helped the Red Flash finish second in the Northeast Conference (NEC) standings and post an undefeated record at home. Saint Francis led the conference and ranked eighth in the FCS in passing defense, allowing 162.8 yards per game. The Red Flash also paced the NEC by allowing 308.5 yards of total offense per game and ranked second in the league in scoring defense at 20.9 points per game.
Craig worked with six All-NEC selections during his two seasons as defensive coordinator at Saint Francis, including three-time first-team safety Lorenzo Jerome, who finished his career with 18 interceptions. In 2015, Jerome was joined on the All-NEC First-Team by cornerback DaQuan Minter, who ranked second in the league the previous year with five interceptions.
While at Duquesne, Craig coached the linebackers for three years and the defensive backs for one season, in addition to serving as the special teams coordinator for all four years. He helped the Dukes earn a share of the NEC title in both 2011 and 2013. In 2011, Craig worked with the linebackers on a defense that led the FCS in passing defense at 139.3 yards per game and ranked fourth in the nation in total defense at 281.6 yards per game.
Craig mentored a trio of All-NEC linebackers while with the Dukes before coaching an All-NEC safety in his final year with the program. In 2012, linebackers Dorian Bell and Horvin Latimer combined for over 180 tackles, 19.0 TFL, 9.0 sacks and three interceptions. Craig also worked with an All-NEC specialist in each of his four years at Duquesne. Charlie Leventry earned all-conference honors as both a kicker and punter during his career and led the league in field-goals made as both a junior and senior.
A native of Imperial, Pennsylvania, Craig started his coaching career by spending four years as the linebackers coach and special teams coordinator at Saint Francis. He helped develop All-NEC linebackers Scott Lewis and Matthew Parker, who rank first and second, respectively, in career tackles at Saint Francis. Lewis became only the second player in FCS history to record 500 career tackles and ranked second in the country as a sophomore with a school-record 142 tackles.
Craig played linebacker for the Red Flash from 2002-06 under then-head coach Dave Opfar, who started on the 1982 Penn State national championship team. Craig registered 227 tackles and 31.5 TFL during his career, totaling over 45 stops in every season. He posted 10.0 TFL as a freshman before finishing second on the team in tackles the next two seasons.
Craig earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Saint Francis in 2006 and completed a master’s degree in human resource management in 2014, also from Saint Francis. He resides in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with his wife Mame and their son, Francis, and daughters, Mary Margaret and Claudia.
