Washington's football coach has one more season. The school already found his successor
Washington has named the successor to its football head coaching position.
Longtime assistant Todd Stevens will replace longtime head coach Darrell Crouch, who will retire after the upcoming 2023 season. Stevens will become the 13th coach in school history when he takes over the Panthers program ahead of the 2024 season.
Crouch will retire from coaching and teaching following the conclusion of the 2023-24 school year. He will leave a strong legacy at the Mid-Illini Conference school, where he will have spent 19 years as head coach — a tenure that includes 15 successive playoff appearances and seven seasons with 10 or more wins.
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Stevens enters his 23rd season as defensive coordinator and 28th overall on the coaching staff. He was named the associate head coach at the March school board meeting, according to Washington athletics director Herb Knoblauch. That set up Stevens to replace Crouch as soon as he departs.
“When you follow someone like a Darrell Crouch or Pat Ryan … you don’t want to lose a step going into the next head coach,” Knoblauch said. “It just made good sense and it’s going to be a good transition, especially for the staff.”
Knoblauch says Washington superintendent Kyle Freeman was the catalyst behind establishing the role of an associate head coach, who is more involved. Stevens meets with the Washington Panthers 12th Man booster club, and has navigated a busy summer schedule that includes organizing the newly IHSA-sanctioned joint practices among other duties.
Stevens has hit the ground running, shadowing Crouch this offseason and helping organize the annual 7-on-7 event set for July 22 in Washington.
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“He’s kind of picking up the reigns,” Knoblauch said, “and learning the ropes and everything like that to take over the program.”
The 2022 Washington defense under Stevens had an incredible five-game stretch where the Panthers went 5-0 with 14 total points allowed and three shutouts.
Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Washington football hires Todd Stevens to replace outgoing Darrell Crouch
