1965 Roar R. L. Turner High School Carrollton, Dallas Co., Texas Faculty - Physical Education

Joe Crousen — the last man to coach a McMurry Indians football team — died Friday, the university announced. He was 71. Crousen's wife, Barbara, is McMurry's head track and field coach. She became the first woman to coach a men's team to an NCAA team championship when McMurry won the 2008 Division III national title. McMurry added its second men's track national championship this spring in its final year of Division III membership. Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Monday at River of Life Church with a graveside service to follow at 4 p.m. at Woodson Cemetery. Visitation will be 6-8 p.m. Sunday at Elmwood Funeral Home at 575 Highway 277 South. In addition to his wife, Crousen is survived by children Kevin, Kerri and Tamra and seven grandchildren. "Joe's passing is truly a deep loss for all of us here at McMurry," Ron Holmes, McMurry's director of athletics, said in a university release. "Even beyond his time as a coach here, Joe was a friend and supporter to all of the War Hawk teams. And there was no bigger advocate and booster for Barbara's incredible success with the track and field program than Joe. "Both directly and indirectly, Joe Crousen touched a lot of lives and left this world a better place for what he contributed to it." Current McMurry football coach Hal Mumme said Crousen was respected throughout the coaching community. "Joe Crousen was a great man, a great player and a great football coach," Mumme said. I've met a lot of people who worked with Joe over the years and all of them had nothing but good things to say about him as well. Crousen was head coach at McMurry in 2005 and 2006, posting an 8-12 record. It was during this time that the NCAA began pressuring schools to discontinue use of Indians mascots and associated imagery. In October 2006, McMurry trustees voted to drop Indians and the school remained without an official mascot until last year, when War Hawks was adopted. The school also had to change the name of its football stadium, renaming it in honor of another former football coach — Wilford Moore — in 2007. The day after the decision to do away with Indians, McMurry rallied from a nine-point deficit in the final five minutes to take a 25-21 homecoming victory over Howard Payne. It was the team's last victory under Crousen. In May, Crousen was inducted into the Big Country Athletic Hall of Fame for his accomplishments as a player and coach. He earned all-state honors as a guard and linebacker on Breckenridge's 1958 state championship team. It was the fourth of five state titles the Buckaroos won in the 1950s. "At the time you're doing all that, you don't realize it because you're just a kid," Crousen said in an interview shortly before his induction. "But after you get out and reflect back on it, read about it and see how hard it was to accomplish those things you really appreciate it, especially after coaching as many years as I have. It's not as easy to do as you think it is." Crousen's first head coaching job was at Athens, where he won a district championship in 1971. He later coached at Carrollton Turner, leading the Lions to the school's only 10-0 season in 1977. The next year, he joined the Mississippi State staff of Emory Bellard, his high school coach at Breckenridge, as offensive line coach and kicking coordinator. Crousen returned to Texas as head coach at Ranger Junior College, where he stayed seven years before becoming defensive coordinator at Cooper under Randy Allen and helped the Cougars to a state-finals berth in 1996. After a brief retirement, Crousen returned to coaching as defensive coordinator at McMurry under Steve Keenum and was named Keenum's successor as head coach in 2005.

 

OBITUARY August 1, 2012   Joe Winn Crousen Jr., 71, died Friday, July 27, 2012 in Abilene, Texas. Funeral services will be held 10 a.m. Monday, July 30, 2012 at the River of Life Church in Abilene with Dr. David Ray officiating. A graveside service will take place at 4 p.m. in the Woodson Cemetery. Visitation will be held 6-8 p.m. Sunday, July 29, 2012 at Elmwood Funeral Home. Elmwood Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Joe was born in Quantico, Va., the son of Joe Winn Crousen Sr. and Ruby Earl Camp Crousen. He grew up in Breckenridge, Texas where he graduated from high school in 1959. He was forever proud to be a Breckenridge Buckaroo. Joe’s passion for the sport of football began at a young age. His high school football career was decorated with all-state honors when he played guard and linebacker on the 1958 state championship team that was coached by the legendary Emory Bellard. After high school, Joe attended San Angelo Jr. College on a football scholarship, and then spent a semester at McMurry University before going to Alpine to play football for Sul Ross State University where he finished his BS degree and started his coaching career as an assistant in charge of defensive backs. Coach Crousen touched the lives of many young men in all the years and all the places he coached football. His successful career saw stops at: R.L. Turner High School in Carrollton; Big Spring High School where he coached under Spike Dykes; Athens High School; Deer Park High School; Mississippi State University where he coached for his mentor Emory Bellard; Ranger Jr. College; Clack Middle School; Cooper High School where helped lead the team to play for the State Championship in 1996; and McMurry University. During his career, he also coached in the Green Belt Bowl and the 1997 Texas High School All-Star Football Game. Joe was a lifetime member of the Texas High School Coaches Association, the Texas State Teacher’s Association, and the American Football Coaches Association. In May of this year, Joe was extremely proud and excited to be inducted in to the Big Country Athletic Hall of Fame. Joe enjoyed hunting, driving his bull dozer and ranching. He was an active member of the River of Life Church where he enjoyed serving as a host home for Anchor Groups. Survivors include his wife Barbara Crousen of Abilene, Texas; his children, Kevin Crousen and wife Emily of Abilene, Texas, Kerri Morris and husband Greg of Plano, Texas, and Tamra Hilborn and husband Charles of LaPorte, Texas; seven grandchildren, Stealey and Ruby Crousen, Cooper, Claire and Carson Morris, Foster and Levi Hilborn; brother, Guinn Dale Crousen and wife Betsy of Highland Park, Texas. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations are suggested to the Joe Crousen Scholarship Fund, c/o InterBank, Box 1577 Breckenridge, TX 76424 or to Basketball Smiles, 3917 Aviator Dr., Abilene, TX 79606 or via paypal through their website, http://www.basketballsmiles.com   Joe Winn Crousen Jr Special to the Review Athens Joe Winn Crousen Jr., 71, passed away Friday, July 27, 2012 in Abilene. His funeral service with Dr. David Ray officiating will be held at 10:00 AM on Monday, July 30th at the River of Life Church, 539 S. HWY 83/84 in Abilene. A graveside service will take place at 4:00 PM in the Woodson Cemetery. Visitation is from 6:00 to 8:00 PM on Sunday at Elmwood Funeral Home, 5750 HWY 277 South. Joe was born in Quantico, Virginia the son of Joe Winn Crousen Sr. and Ruby Earl Camp Crousen. He grew up in Breckenridge where he graduated from high school in 1959. He was forever proud to be a Breckenridge Buckaroo. Joe’s passion for the sport of football began at a young age. His high school football career was decorated with all-state honors when he played guard and linebacker on the 1958 state championship team that was coached by the legendary Emory Bellard. After high school, Joe attended San Angelo Jr. College on a football scholarship, and then spent a semester at McMurry University before going to Alpine to play football for Sul Ross State University where he finished his BS degree and started his coaching career as an assistant in charge of defensive backs. Coach Crousen touched the lives of many young men in all the years and all the places he coached football. His successful career saw stops at R.L. Turner High School in Carrollton, Big Spring High School where he coached under Spike Dykes, Athens High School, Deer Park High School, Mississippi State University where he coached for his mentor Emory Bellard, Ranger Jr. College, Clack Middle School, Cooper High School where helped lead the team to play for the State Championship in 1996, and McMurry University.  During his career, he also coached in the Green Belt Bowl and the 1997 Texas High School All-Star Football Game. Joe was a lifetime member of the Texas High School Coaches Association, the Texas State Teacher’s Association, and the American Football Coaches Association. In May of this year, Joe was extremely proud and excited to be inducted in to the Big Country Athletic Hall of Fame. Joe enjoyed hunting, driving his bull dozer and ranching. He was an active member of the River of Life Church where he enjoyed serving as a host home for Anchor Groups. Survivors include his wife Barbara Crousen of Abilene; his children, Kevin Crousen and wife Emily of Abilene, Kerri Morris and husband Greg of Plano, and Tamra Hilborn and husband Charles of LaPorte; seven grandchildren, Stealey and Ruby Crousen, Cooper, Claire and Carson Morris, Foster and Levi Hilborn; and one brother, Guinn Dale Crousen and wife Betsy of Highland Park. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations are suggested to the Joe Crousen Scholarship Fund, c/o InterBank, Box 1577 Breckenridge, TX 76424 or to Basketball Smiles, 3917 Aviator Dr., Abilene, TX 79606 or via paypal through their website, www.basketballsmiles.com Athens Daily Review - July 31, 2012

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