Johnsburg hires new football coach

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JOHNSBURG – Barry Creviston liked everything he saw in Johnsburg, from the school itself to the football program to the Fox Valley Conference.

Johnsburg’s administration felt

similarly about Creviston, 38, who was approved by the District 12 school board late Tuesday to teach physical education and become the Skyhawks’ head football coach.

“I’m excited to get started, get my family to Johnsburg and begin this new challenge,” said Creviston, who coached the past six seasons at Class 1A Jacksonville Routt. “My time at Routt was wonderful, and I will never forget the close relationships that I had with the school.”

Creviston’s Rockets teams were 42-20 over the past six seasons, 29-4 over the past three. He played quarterback at MacMurray College in Jacksonville, where he was offensive MVP and left as the school’s career leader in passing and total yards.

Creviston’s coaching résumé includes four stops at colleges, the last two at Greenville College and Benedictine University, working extensively in the passing games for both schools. He takes over for Todd Winter, who was 13-15 in three seasons as the Skyhawks coach.

Johnsburg athletic director Bruce Harbecke received almost 40 applications for the position. The administration interviewed eight candidates in the first round, then brought back three finalists.

“We liked that he is able to come in and run with it,” Harbecke said. “He has a real passion for football and an unbelievable knowledge of the game.”

Harbecke said Creviston is planning on coming to Johnsburg March 12 and 13 to meet assistant coaches, players and parents in the program.

Creviston was chosen by the Jacksonville Journal-Courier as its 2006 Coach of the Year. The Rockets were 11-1 that season, losing in the Class 1A state quarterfinals.

Creviston and his wife, Valerie, have three sons: Chase (11), Kellen (22 months) and Cannon (five months). He felt it was a good time for his family to relocate and passed over other jobs because of what he saw in Johnsburg.

“One of the things I really liked was the community,” said Creviston, who will be the Skyhawks’ 11th coach in the school’s 30 years. “They let you know what they think. They’ve shown a great deal of interest in the football program there.”

Routt ran a lot of spread I-formation offense under Creviston, who says his system will resemble many of the formations Winter used.

“The Fox Valley is a great conference where I’ll have my work cut out for me,” Creviston said. “You really have to coach well there every week.”