Dr. Brian Crossman, a Covenant College professor of physical education, was inducted into the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Hall of Fame at the NAIA Men’s Soccer National Championship, in Orange Beach, Alabama on November 27.

The award was for meritorious service to the NAIA. He was the president of the NAIA Men’s Soccer Coaches Association from 1995 to ’98 and currently chairs the ethics committee for the National Soccer Coaches Association. Crossman, 55, is in his 27th year on the Covenant faculty and coached the Scots for 21 years beginning in 1986, after two years at Berea.

“I’m very honored. The NAIA has a remarkable soccer history and a ton of people who have made their mark there,” Crossman said. “Some of the NAIA programs have had better resources than a lot of NCAA programs, and a lot of the movers and shakers in the sport have come from the NAIA ranks.”

The Awards Committee stated that “Dr. Crossman simply defines everything that the NAIA promotes as important in a quality individual and has spent a career passing those ideals along to student-athletes at Berea College and Covenant College as both a soccer coach and educator. He has dedicated himself to promoting sportsmanship and ethical conduct on a national scale.

“An outstanding coach with over 300 career victories, it is off the field where Crossman made his mark with the NAIA, serving nearly every committee of the NAIA Men’s Soccer Coaches Association and eventually serving as President from 1995-98. He was presented with the National Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association Merit Award among all college coaches in 2002. His teams have been cited with numerous sportsmanship and team academic awards. He currently serves as the Chair of the Ethics Committee for the National Soccer Coaches Association, a 30,000 member organization of coaches at every level of the game from youth through professional. His reputation is beyond reproach.”

Crossman first played soccer in the Baltimore area as a seven year old. He continued playing through high school and then college at Frostburg State University in Maryland. “Playing with some youth teams kind of got me interested in coaching.”

For two years, he coached soccer and tennis at Berea College in Kentucky. In 1984, Covenant College registrar Rudy Schmidt informed Crossman the college needed a soccer coach.

“I got a call from Nick Barker a week later, came down for an interview, hoodwinked them and got the job,” said Crossman. That fall he began coaching at Covenant.

Crossman’s first year coaching at Covenant was also the sophomore year for Warren Smith ’87, a former Scots soccer team member. “While the team was young and inexperienced,” says Smith, “we were all immediately impressed with Brian’s knowledge of soccer and the passion he had in training us. His fiery confidence instilled in us a desire to work hard. By his third season at Covenant, he had us playing in the NAIA national soccer tournament.”

Smith makes it clear that Crossman’s influence reached far beyond the field. “As my coach and professor he stressed personal responsibility and character development. He wanted me (and all of us on the team) to take seriously our call to be kingdom workers here on earth – and he took his responsibility seriously to train us to do just that.”

“I’m still thankful to Coach Crossman,” says Troy Duble ’93, vice president for advancement at Covenant, “for the training that ingrained into me a strong consistent work ethic and prepared my teammates and me, both physically and mentally, for whatever task God places in front of us.”

In an article in the February, 2009 edition of the Covenant student newspaper, The Bagpipe, sports reporter Max Belz wrote:

“When men’s soccer coach Brian Crossman captured his 300th win on October 9 at a packed New Scotland Yard against Union College, it was only the first of several honors he was to receive in the next few months.

“He was named Appalachian Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, his team finished in the regional semifinal with a 14-3-2 season record, and most recently he was named Coach of the Year in all of collegiate soccer, according to the National Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association and the National Soccer Coach’s Association of America.

“In honor of Crossman’s win, President Niel Nielsen introduced the Brian Crossman Scholarship immediately after the game while dozens of current and former players gathered for pictures with Crossman. “That was a nice gesture by the college,” Crossman said of the scholarship. The scholarship is intended for incoming freshmen.”

“He is one of the most consistent coaches you’ll ever meet,” said Jason Trimiew, a Scot who graduated in 1999. “He’s a good coach because he’s a meticulous planner and he’s consistent in his approach.” To keep his players on their toes, Crossman often schedules team meetings and practices four minutes past the hour instead of on the hour.

Crossman’s success is a direct result of his emphasis on detail and hard work, considering Covenant offers only four full soccer scholarships a year. “Brian thinks big picture,” said Josh Good, a captain from 1998. “He is always thinking about next season, always thinking about recruitment.”

“He has such an adaptable quality to his coaching,” said senior defender Ty Bourgeois. “He’s done well with the resources.”

Three years ago, when the college transitioned from NAIA to NCAA Division III, Crossman stepped down as Covenant’s coach and was named head coach of the Chattanooga Football Club, a charter member of the National Premier Soccer League and built the team to a level to reach post-season play during his 3 year stint. He retired from that position at the end of last season.

Crossman continues on the faculty at Covenant College where he is serving as the Department Head of Physical Education.

Editor’s Note: Information for this article has been taken from multiple press releases from Covenant College and the NAIA and the Covenant College student newspaper, The Bagpipe