Daniel J. Crawford
Baseball Athlete / Coach (1991-1993 and 1996-1999)
Two-time All-Region pitcher on two nationally ranked Waubonsee teams
Chiefs coach on 1996 NJCAA Division III National Runner-up team
Nearly 30 years as head coach and assistant on the collegiate and prep level
Every year across the country countless youngsters fall in love with the game of baseball. Eventually when their playing days are over a handful continue to give back to the game, becoming coaches and passing on their knowledge and experience to the next generations. Former Chiefs’ pitcher and coach Dan Crawford fits that billing, having coached at nearly every age level the last three decades.
Crawford graduated from Aurora Central Catholic High School in 1991 after helping the Chargers win a pair of Regional Championships while going 10-0 on the mound to garner All-Conference and All-Area First Team honors his senior year. The right-hander then joined Waubonsee’s program becoming a key piece of the Chiefs’ nationally ranked 1992 and 1993 teams, which both finished as the Region 4 runner-up. Crawford earned 10 wins during his time at Waubonsee while helping the Chiefs set a then single-season school record of 33 wins in 1993. Crawford was selected All-Region Second Team as a freshman and All-Region First Team as a sophomore. The hurler then closed out his collegiate playing career by pitching at William Penn College in Iowa for a year and nearby Aurora University in 1995, two nationally prominent NCAA Division III programs.
Crawford returned to Waubonsee and served as the Chiefs’ Pitching Coach for four straight nationally ranked teams from 1996 through 1999. During that time, he helped guide Waubonsee to the Region 4 title and a National Runner-up finish at the 1996 NJCAA Division III World Series in Batavia, New York. Coach Crawford helped Waubonsee reach the Region 4 finals the following year, and then win the Skyway Conference crown and repeat as Region 4 champions in 1998 before falling short in the District Finals. Under his tutelage several Waubonsee pitchers went on to pitch at four-year schools, including Chiefs’ Hall of Famer Lance Surridge, who eventually played professionally in the Boston Red Sox organization for four seasons. In addition, four of his Waubonsee pitchers also participated in the Region IV All-Star game during his tenure.
In 2000 Crawford became the head baseball coach at Dixon High School, guiding the small-school Dukes to a conference title his first year and 173 wins over 11 years, despite often playing much bigger schools. In 2010 he was selected the Sauk Valley Telegraph Coach of the Year. During this same time span he established the Dixon River Bandits travel baseball program, coaching at every age level over 11 seasons. Two of his teams competed Internationally, with one placing second at the 2008 18U Tuscany Series in Italy. In 2011 Crawford began serving as Associate Head Coach at Sterling Newman Catholic High School, helping direct the Comets to two Regional titles, a Sweet-16 berth and four Regional runner-up finishes over nine years. Crawford returned to the Dukes’ dugout in 2020 as an assistant coach, helping Dixon compile a 50-9 overall record and 34-1 Big Northern Conference mark the last three years. Over 50 of his former players have gone on to play collegiately. Crawford earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology from Aurora University in 1996 and began teaching at Jacobs High School in Algonquin in 1997. He later earned a Master of Science in Education Degree from Northern Illinois University in 2004. Crawford is in his 27th year teaching Biology, with 25 of those being at Dixon. During the summer months, Crawford works for the city of Dixon where he lives with his son Kaleb.