Jim Criner

Jim Criner
Sport(s) Football
Biographical details
Born (1940-03-30) March 30, 1940
Lurton, Arkansas
Alma mater Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
Playing career
1960–1961 Cal Poly, San Luis Opispo
Position(s) Linebacker, fullback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1967–1968 Utah (OL)
1969 Hayward State (DC)
1970–1971 California (DB)
1972 BYU (assistant)
1973–1974 UCLA (OL)
1975 UCLA (LB)
1976–1982 Boise State
1983–1986 Iowa State
1995–2000 Scottish Claymores
2001 Las Vegas Outlaws
2012 Amiens Spartiates
Head coaching record
Overall 76–46–3 (college)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
1 NCAA Division I-AA (1980)
2 Big Sky (1977, 1980)
1 Casque de Diamant 1st division of France (2012)

Jim Criner (born March 30, 1940) is a former American football player and coach. He was the head coach at Boise State University from 1976 to 1982 and at Iowa State University from 1983 to 1986, compiling a career college football head coaching record of 76–46–3 (.620). Criner was also the head coach of the NFL Europe's Scottish Claymores from 1995 to 2000, and the short-lived XFL's Las Vegas Outlaws in 2001. His 1980 Boise State team won the NCAA Division I-AA Championship and his Scottish Claymores squad won World Bowl IV in 1996. Criner was later a scout for the Kansas City Chiefs of the NFL under head coach Dick Vermeil, whom he assisted at UCLA in the mid-1970s.

Early life and playing career

Born in Lurton, Arkansas, Criner was a four-sport athlete in California at Coachella Valley High School in Thermal. He attended Palo Verde Junior College where he was a junior college All-American at linebacker, then transferred to Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, California, where he was an All-American at linebacker, and played fullback as well.

Coaching career

High school football and college assistant coaching

He began his career as an assistant to Jim Hanifan at Charter Oak High School (1963), and then was an assistant under head coach Leonard Cohn at Claremont High School (1964) and then was head coach at Clovis High School. He became a college assistant coach in 1967 at Utah, serving two seasons as the offensive line coach. In 1969, he became the defensive coordinator at Cal State Hayward. In 1970, he became the secondary coach at California for two seasons, and in 1972 moved to BYU for a season. He was the offensive line coach in 1973 at UCLA under Pepper Rodgers and continued under Dick Vermeil in 1974; he moved to linebackers coach in 1975, when UCLA won the Pac-8 title and upset top-ranked Ohio State, 23–10, in the Rose Bowl.

Boise State

Following UCLA's Rose Bowl victory over Ohio State in January 1976, Criner was hired as the head coach at Boise State, replacing Tony Knap, who had departed for UNLV. At the time, Boise State was a strong Division II program in the Big Sky Conference, and had won three consecutive conference titles. The Broncos won the conference title again in Criner's second season in 1977, and the conference moved up to the newly formed Division I-AA in 1978. The Broncos went undefeated in conference in 1979, but were ineligible for the Big Sky title or the I-AA playoffs; they had been placed on probation for improper scouting late in the 1978 season.[1][2][3]

Off of probation in 1980, Boise State won the Big Sky title with a 6–1 conference record, and advanced to the four-team I-AA playoffs, and defeated Grambling, 14–9, in the first round (semifinals) in a 22 °F (−6 °C) fog in Boise.[4] The following week they traveled to Sacramento and defeated defending champion Eastern Kentucky 31–29 for the NCAA Division I-AA Championship.[5] Boise State again went 6–1 in conference in 1981, and tied for first with Idaho State in the Big Sky. Both co-champions were invited to the expanded eight-team I-AA playoffs. The Broncos defeated Jackson State on the road, but were defeated at home in the semifinals by Eastern Kentucky. Idaho State won the 1981 national title, defeating Eastern Kentucky the following week. In Criner's seven seasons at Boise State, the Broncos were 34–12 (.739) in conference, and 59–21–1 (.735) overall.

Iowa State

Following the 1982 season, Criner became the 27th head coach of the Iowa State Cyclones of the Big Eight Conference. He held that position for four seasons, from 1983 until 1986. His career coaching record at Iowa State was 9–17–2 (.357) in conference and 17–25–2 (.409) overall, ranking him 14th at ISU in total wins and 19th in winning percentage.[6] He was fired from this position in 1986, when the school announced the organization had made 34 allegations of wrongdoing in the football program. Allegations included coaches giving players cash as well as giving recruits rides and meals.

Amiens Spartiates (Spartans), France

2012 1st Division Champion with the Amiens Spartans, France

Personal life

Criner has three brothers and two sisters. All three of his brothers have or have had prominent sports careers. His son Mark worked as his Defensive Coordinator in the XFL for the Las Vegas Outlaws. Mark went on to coach at Cincinnati, Minnesota and Middle Tennessee State among others. Jim Criner's grandson Calin Criner currently plays football at Eastern Washington University.

Head coaching record

College

Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs
Boise State Broncos (Big Sky Conference) (1976–1982)
1976 Boise State 5–5–1 2–4 5th
1977 Boise State 9–2 6–0 1st
1978 Boise State 7–4 3–3 4th
1979 Boise State 10–1 7–0 ineligible
1980 Boise State 10–3 6–1 1st W Division I-AA Championship
1981 Boise State 10–3 6–1 T–1st L Division I-AA Semifinal
1982 Boise State 8–3 4–3 4th
Boise State: 59–21–1 34–12
Iowa State Cyclones (Big Eight Conference) (1983–1986)
1983 Iowa State 4–7 3–4 T–4th
1984 Iowa State 2–7–2 0–5–2 T–7th
1985 Iowa State 5–6 3–4 5th
1986 Iowa State 6–5 3–4 5th
Iowa State: 17–25–2 9–17–2
Total: 76–46–3
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title

References

  1. ↑ "Boise St. coach admits to scouting violation". Daily News. Bowling Green, Kentucky. Associated Press. November 16, 1978. p. 4-B.
  2. ↑ "Big Sky's down hard on Boise". Spokesman Review. Associated Press. December 17, 1978. p. B1.
  3. ↑ "Probation slapped on Boise State football". Ellensburg Daily Record. UPI. December 18, 1978. p. 7.
  4. ↑ "Defense difference for Boise State". Reading (PA) Eagle. Associated Press. December 14, 1980. p. 106.
  5. ↑ "Boise gets title". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Associated Press. December 22, 1980. p. 28.
  6. ↑ Iowa State Coaching Records

External links

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