Navy offensive coordinator Drew Cronic was offered the head coaching job at Alabama-Birmingham and turned it down.
FootballScoop.com first reported the news, which Cronic reluctantly confirmed to Capital Gazette as he would prefer the focus remain on Navy football as it prepares to play archrival Army on Dec. 13 at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.
After discussing the offer from UAB with his family, Chose to remain at the Naval Academy for a third year.
“First of all, I really like where I am now. We’re blessed to be at the Naval Academy — there’s a lot of things that are unique and special about it,” Cronic said on Saturday afternoon. “We’re blessed to be where we are, we’re excited to be where we are and we just want to beat Army in a couple weeks.”
Cronic has made it clear many times that family and faith are foremost in his life. He and wife Amelia along with their three children focused on those factors when considering the latest job offer.
“If any opportunities come up that might make sense, we look at them and we pray about them. Honestly, we try to be where the Lord wants us to be,” Cronic said. “That is always going to be our approach as a family when we have to make important decisions in life. We want to be where the Lord wants us to be so we can serve him and serve others.”
Eli Cronic, the eldest of the children, is a plebe at the Naval Academy and member of the varsity football program as a reserve long snapper. Cronic spoke earlier this season about how much he enjoys being right there for his son’s journey through the academy.
“To have your son here close by while at college is very special,” he said at the time.
Asked if Eli’s presence at the Naval Academy was a factor in the decision to stay, Cronic said “that is definitely a part of our equation.”
Cronic was coach at Mercer of the Football Championship Subdivision for four years before being hired as offensive coordinator at Navy on Jan. 10, 2024. Coach Brian Newberry was looking to add some new wrinkles after Navy’s patented triple-option had increasingly struggled to consistently move the ball and score points from 2020 through 2023.
Cronic installed what he called his “millennial” Wing-T offense, which incorporated some triple-option elements at Newberry’s request. Cronic’s hybrid attack also features some run-pass option and even some pro-style elements.
Navy’s new offense has overwhelmed most opponents and is a major reason the program owns a 19-5 overall record and 13-3 American Conference mark over the past two seasons. The Midshipmen have amassed 764 points and 9,609 total yards in 24 games under Cronic.
Cronic was rumored to be a candidate for several head coach jobs last season and Newberry acknowledged that it “was not a surprise” that UAB tried to lure him away.
“It’s a credit to the job Coach Cronic has done and it’s a credit to the success we’ve had with our program. When you have that type of success, people are going to get opportunities and they are well deserved,” Newberry said. “I’m certainly glad Coach Cronic is staying. He’s done a phenomenal job and been a tremendous part of our success over the last two years, there’s no question about that.”
Cronic has enjoyed tremendous success at every stop along the way, whether as head coach or offensive coordinator. He boasts a 75-23 record in eight seasons as a head coach — two at Reinhardt (NAIA), two at Lenoir-Rhyne (Division II) and four at Mercer. Newberry described Cronic as a “proven commodity” because of his success as a head coach at multiple levels.
That Cronic would pass on an opportunity to become a head coach at another school in the American Conference to remain offensive coordinator at Navy might surprise most observers. Those within the program better understand why he would make such a decision.
“The fact that a coordinator here would turn down a head coaching job speaks to the Naval Academy and what this place represents and the type of players we get to coach on a daily basis,” Newberry said. “The fact that we’re still a developmental program and get to do it the way we do it — there is a lot to be said for that.”
Last February, current defensive coordinator P.J. Volker turned down an offer to join the staff of the Los Angeles Rams. Newberry said other assistants have declined offers to leave.
“We’ve had several coaches that had opportunities and stayed here, which speaks volumes about this institution and this program and what we’ve got going on right now,” Newberry said. “I tell people all the time this is one of the best places to coach in the country, because of some of the things we don’t have to deal with and because of the young men we get to coach. It’s a special place and it takes a lot for guys to leave.”
Newberry noted that Cronic enjoys a great deal of freedom in terms of managing the Navy offense, saying “I don’t micromanage that side of the ball.” He believes there is an outstanding “dynamic” within the staff that all the assistants appreciate.
Navy entered Thursday night’s game against Memphis averaging almost 33 points and 449 total yards, ranking 33rd and 23rd out of 133 Football Bowl Subdivision schools in those two categories. The Midshipmen led the nation in rushing with 308 yards per game on the ground.
“I’m sure there will be other opportunities that come around for Drew, and if they are great fits for him and his family I’ll be the first one to pat him on the butt and send him on his way,” Newberry said. “Not all of these opportunities are no-brainer decisions. You have to factor in a lot of things. I know Drew and his family are happy here and he’s well taken care of here.”
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