Billy Crocker enters the 2026 season as the founding head football coach at Eastern University. He built the Eagles from a start-up program into a Middle Atlantic Conference champion and NCAA Tournament team in only three varsity seasons.
Hired in December 2021 to launch Eastern football from scratch, Crocker oversaw every step of the program’s creation: building the first coaching staff, recruiting the first classes, establishing systems and standards, and guiding the Eagles through their first varsity season in 2023. After a 2-8 inaugural campaign, Eastern improved to 5-5 in 2024 before breaking through in historic fashion in 2025.
In just its third official season, Eastern captured the MAC Championship, earned the program’s first NCAA Division III Tournament berth, defeated No. 16 Franklin & Marshall for its first postseason win, and advanced to the third round of the national tournament.
The 2025 season cemented Crocker’s vision for the program. Eastern finished 10-2, claimed the MAC title with a 16-10 win at Stevenson, and became one of the fastest-rising programs in Division III football. For his leadership, Crocker was named MAC Coach of the Year and D3football.com Region 1 Coach of the Year.
Eastern’s championship run was powered by player development across all three phases. Quarterback Brett Nabb was named MAC Offensive Player of the Year and First-Team All-MAC after rushing for 1,341 yards and 11 touchdowns while passing for 1,305 yards and 11 scores. Nabb also earned Academic All-MAC, CSC Academic All-District, Philly-SIDA Academic All-Area Performer of the Year, and All-Region honors. His four rushing touchdowns in Eastern’s NCAA win at Franklin & Marshall helped deliver the first postseason victory in program history.
Defensively, linebacker Jason Bateman became the first Eastern football player to earn All-America recognition after a dominant 2025 season. Bateman was named MAC Defensive Player of the Year, D3football.com Region 1 Defensive Player of the Year, and an AP Division III All-American after finishing with 97 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, six sacks, seven forced fumbles, and four pass breakups.
Crocker’s 2025 team produced 15 All-MAC honorees. First-Team selections included Nabb, offensive linemen Justin McNulty and Alvin Carpenter, fullback Dom Franks, defensive end Salif Nikiema, defensive back Tahjere Jackson-Alston, punter John Westfield, and long snapper Sean McNamara. Additional honorees included multi-time All-MAC linebacker Gashawn Moody Sr., defensive lineman Freddie DiNardo, kicker John Nolek, and returner Chris Rivera. Moody, one of the program’s foundational “Year Zero” players, earned his third All-MAC recognition and made the game-clinching interception in Eastern’s NCAA Tournament win.
Before Eastern, Crocker built a strong résumé at the Division I level. He spent three seasons as defensive coordinator at Elon University, where his defenses emphasized takeaways and helped the Phoenix earn notable wins over nationally ranked opponents. At Elon, Crocker helped develop standout defensive players including Greg Liggs Jr., a unanimous All-American and Buck Buchanan Award finalist, and Marcus Willoughby, an All-CAA performer who earned an NFL opportunity.
Prior to Elon, Crocker served two seasons as defensive coordinator at UConn under Randy Edsall, coordinating at the FBS level after a long and successful run at Villanova University. At Villanova, Crocker spent 12 seasons on staff, including five as defensive coordinator. He coached the defensive line, linebackers, and special teams before taking over the defense in 2012. His Villanova units ranked among the CAA and national leaders in multiple defensive categories and produced numerous All-CAA and All-America players, including Don Cherry, Tanoh Kpassagnon, Rakim Cox, Dillon Lucas, and Greg Miller. Crocker was an integral part of Hall of Fame coach Andy Talley’s staff through numerous NCAA Playoff appearances, including Wildcats 2009 FCS National Championship.
A former Division III student-athlete at the United States Coast Guard Academy and a Villanova graduate, Crocker has built his career around toughness, development, discipline, and belief. At Eastern, those values have shaped a program that went from an idea to a champion in just a few seasons—and positioned the Eagles as one of the MAC’s premier football programs.
Coach Crocker and his wife, Kristina, are the proud parents of three children – Ryan, Bryn and Will.
