Crider replaces recently retired coach Stan Narewski:
GDW Analysis:
HANCEVILLE: Wallace State Community College has filled vacancies in its athletic department with three hires coming in the final week of May.
The latest was on Friday with President Vickie Karolewics promoting Tony Crider from assistant to head coach of the Lions' cross country program.
Crider has been an assistant to Stan Narewski since 2017. Narewski recently announced his retirement after serving a long term and building the Lady Lions and Lions into well known teams across the NJCAA.
“Tony Crider has proven himself in his role as assistant coach to the Wallace State cross country teams. He has been a vital part of the Wallace State family, and we know he will continue to build upon Wallace State’s outstanding success in cross country as head coach,” Karolewics said.
Crider has served as the assistant coach under retiring head coach Stan Narewski since 2017. He will take over a men’s squad that has eight conference championship and a women’s squad that has five, including a sweep of the Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC) meets in 2020. That year, the Lady Lions had a program-best 6th-place finish in the NJCAA Division II national meet and the men were 8th.
“To me, it’s just a great honor to be able to follow a person like Stan and work for such a great administration at Wallace State,” Crider said. “I truly enjoy the students and I look forward to getting up every morning to work with them. They are like my children; they keep me young.”
Crider has more than 20 years’ experience coaching multiple sports at the high school level, with more than 10 years coaching cross country and track and field at Cold Springs High School. There he was part of four cross country and track and field state championships.
Crider is the 4th change to the coaching stature for Wallace State athletics as they approach the 2024/25 season.
It started May 23 when Karolewics announced Megan Curry would take over the softball team.
Last week, the school selected Faron Key and Joseph Simmons to be in charge of Lions and Lady Lions' basketball.
Crider will immediately meet with his teams as they will begin workouts most likely in July and start prepping for the 2024 season in August.
Photo of Tony Crider and Wallace State Lady Lions XC.
Photo courtesy of WSCC Media Relations.
