Maurice Crum - Football Coach - Ole Miss Athletics

Maurice Crum

Title:
Assistant Coach/Co-Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
E-mail:
rebelfootball@olemiss.edu
Phone:
662-915-7890
Alma Mater:
Notre Dame (2009)

Maurice Crum was announced as the Ole Miss co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach on March 2, 2022.

Crum comes to Oxford after five seasons at Western Kentucky, including the 2021 campaign in which he served as defensive coordinator for the Hilltoppers. Crum’s WKU defense held opponents to 21 points or less in seven of their last eight regular season games last season. Western Kentucky finished third in Conference USA with 2.57 sacks per game.

As the Hilltoppers’ co-DC and linebackers coach in 2020, Crum helped the WKU defense rank eighth in pass yards allowed (177.3), 28th in total yards allowed (348.7) and 41st in points allowed (25.3) per game. Crum served as linebackers coach for three seasons (2017-19) when he first arrived in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Primary starting linebackers Kyle Bailey and Eli Brown combined for 129 tackles – including 16.5 for loss – with five sacks, two interceptions and six quarterback hurries. Both Bailey and Brown were voted 2020 Conference USA Honorable Mention by the league’s coaches. Later in the season, Nick Days started seeing more playing time rotating into the lineup, and he made 25 tackles in the final four games.

In 2019, WKU produced a top 25 overall defense, as the Hilltoppers completed one of the best defensive seasons in recent memory. WKU allowed only 20.1 total points per game, which was the lowest mark for the program since 2004 and ranked No. 22 in FBS.

WKU held opponents to a 29.7% rate (51-of-172) on 3rd down attempts, which ranked sixth in FBS and was the lowest mark for the program since a 30.1% rate (49-of-163) on opponent third down tries in 1987. The Hilltoppers ranked third in FBS with only 82 missed tackles all season long. With 835 total plays in 13 games, that equated to about 6.3 per contest and one every 10 snaps. Only Michigan (74) and Air Force (81) had better such numbers.

During his second year on The Hill in 2018, Crum developed linebacker Ben Holt into a tackling machine and team leader. Holt, who was elected one of two yearlong captains by his teammates, set WKU’s FBS Era record for tackles per game (9.67) with 116 tackles in 12 games. That mark ranked fourth in C-USA and his 116 total tackles were the third-most among league players in the regular season. Crum’s second protege, senior Masai Whyte, finished the regular season with 76 total tackles and ranked No. 22 in C-USA in that mark.

In his first year in 2017, Crum’s experience at the highest level was put on display as WKU needed to replace two of the season’s previous three starting linebackers, returning only junior Joel Iyiegbuniwe. Under Crum’s direction, Iyiegbuniwe exploded in 2017 en route to an All-CUSA First Team season. He led the Hilltoppers in tackles with 116, the third-most in a single season in the FBS Era, and tackles for loss with 11.5. The junior declared for the NFL Draft a year early and was selected 115th overall in the fourth round by the Chicago Bears.

Prior to WKU, Crum spent the 2016 season at Indiana State coaching corners and nickelbacks. Crum served as defensive graduate assistant at Notre Dame in 2015, which included an appearance in the Fiesta Bowl. Crum got his college coaching career started with three seasons on Charlie Weis’ staff at Kansas, in various roles, including defensive graduate assistant (2012), Assistant Director of Operations (2013) and Director of High School Relations (2014).

Crum was a defensive graduate assistant at Notre Dame in 2015 which included an appearance in the Fiesta Bowl. Crum’s post-college playing career included a three-year stint in the UFL (2009-11) and three seasons on Charlie Weis’ staff at Kansas in various roles included defensive graduate assistant (2012), Assistant Director of Operations (2013) and Director of High School Relations (2014).

Crum was a four-year letterwinner at Notre Dame from 2005-08. During his playing career, Crum played in 50 games with 42 consecutive starts and registered 306 tackles, 23 tackles for loss and eight sacks. His 306 career tackles rank 11th in Notre Dame history. A two-time team captain in 2007 and 2008, Crum was one of only 17 players in school history to accomplish that feat.

A 2009 graduate of Notre Dame with a degree in Sociology, Crum is married to the former Crysta Swayzer and the couple has three sons, Maurice III, Allen and Noah. Crum’s father, Maurice Sr., was a consensus All-American at Miami in 1990.

COACHING CAREER
Year(s)	School	Position
2022-Pres.	Ole Miss	Co-Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
2021	Western Kentucky	Defensive Coordinator
2020	Western Kentucky	Co-Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
2017-19	Western Kentucky	Linebackers*
2016	Indiana State	Cornerbacks/Nickelbacks
2015	Notre Dame	Graduate Assistant
2014	Kansas	Director of HS Relations
2013	Kansas	Assistant Director of Operations
2012	Kansas	Graduate Assistant