Coaching Staff

Head Coach Jeremy Croy

Phone: 419-448-3338
Email: croyjn@tiffin.edu

Head Track and Field/Cross Country Coach Jeremy Croy enters his eighth season at Tiffin University. Since his arrival, Coach Croy has led the Dragons to six consecutive winning seasons (men 235-50, women 173-115). The Dragons also had their first 10 All-Americans and shattered over 60 school records. Both track and field squads also gained their highest ever conference placing in Coach Croy’s first season and continued that success last year with the men's squad winning their fourth consecutive conference championship. Coach Croy was also recognized as the 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007 AMC Coach of the Year for winning the AMC Conference Championship and finishing the season with a record of 51-2.

Squad sizes have improved from 20 to nearly 120 in seven short years. During this time, the Dragons have sent student-athletes to the NCAA and NAIA National Championships in 20 events. Ten of these athletes have earned All-American status and 40 more have gained Academic All-American status.

Croy is an Ohio Northern University graduate with a degree in Sports Management. He also was a four-year letter winner in track and cross-country, earning MVP honors for the cross-country squad. Croy obtained his Master's degree in Sports Management from Springfield College (MA). He and his wife (Meladie) reside here in Tiffin.

Keith Vance: Throws Coach

Keith Vance enters his fifth year coaching the Throws squad for the Dragons. In his 4 years he has coached 84 All-Time Performance List Records at Tiffin University, 35 Conference Place winners, 7 Conference Champions, 16 NAIA National Qualifiers, 2 AMC Field Athletes of the year, 5 NCAA Academic All Americans, and 6 NCAA National Qualifiers.

Vance is a graduate of the College of Wooster with an undergraduate degree in Sociology. He finished as an eight-time All-Conference honor winner, National Qualifier in the shot put, and still holds both school records. He then went on to obtain his Master's Degree in Business Administration from Tiffin University. Vance is USATF Level 2 certified in the Throws.

Emily Herring: Jumps/Sprints Coach

Emily Herring enters her first season with the Dragons. She has taught English in the Elgin Local and Sugarcreek Local school districts for the past three years and has also served as an assistant track and field coach for both high schools. Additionally, Herring served as a Wilmington College volunteer coach in the 2005-06 season.

Herring is a 2004 graduate of Wilmington College, and in her time at Wilmington, Herring earned school indoor records in the 400, 800, and 4x400 relay and outdoor records in the high jump, 4x400 relay, and 4x800 relay. Additionally, Herring earned five All-American honors and a National Championship in the Indoor NCAA Division III high jump in 2004. For the 2004 indoor season, Herring was tied for the 16th best high jump in the country in the USATF rankings.

Ron Martin: Distance Coach

Ron Martin is beginning his third season with Tiffin University as a distance coach. Ron has taught health and physical education for 30 years. He has coached distance runners for over 24 years in 3 different high schools (Caldwell, Tiffin Columbian, and Seneca East). In cross country, Martin’s athletes have compiled an overall record of 2730 Wins- 354 Losses (88.5% winning percentage). His athletes have a combined total of 28 All-Ohio honors, 8 individual State Champions, and 3 high school All-Americans. His teams have finished 1^st or 2^nd in the State Cross Country Meet, 16 times.

In Track, Martin’s distance runners have compiled 25 All-Ohio honors, 5 individual State Champions, 8 high school All-Americans, and 1 National Champion in the 5000m (15:12.7).

Ron and Bev, his wife of 27 years, are parents to 5 children (Chris, Heather, Erica, Rachel, and Rebecca).

Christopher Crutchfield: Sprints/Pole Vault Coach

Christopher Crutchfield begins his first year as an assistant coach with the Tiffin University track and field program. Crutchfield, a 2007 graduate of Wilmington College (OH), ran four years for the Quakers, earning eight varsity letters in track. He also recently received his USATF Level 1 Coaches Certification.

Crutchfield, a Morrow, OH native, garnered All-American honors his junior year as a member of the 4x400 relay team. He also accumulated 6 All-OAC and 9 All-Ohio honors during his collegiate career. As a senior, Crutchfield automatically qualified for the NCAA Division III National Championships in the 4x400 relay.

Crutchfield, an Education and History major at Wilmington, will be working toward his Master of Business Administration in Leadership which he started this fall.

Bev Buckley: Distance Coach

Bev Buckley is beginning her first year at Tiffin University as a distance coach. Coach Buckley has been a high school guidance counselor for 10 years and has 22 years of coaching experience at Fremont Ross High School and Heidelberg College. In this time, Buckley has sent two athletes to the NCAA Division III National meet in cross country and two athletes in track and field. Buckley has also had 35 Academic All-Americans and 8 All-Region cross country runners. In the OAC, Buckley coached 8 conference champions in track and field and 2 OAC champions. In addition, one individual on Buckley's squad earned an All-Ohio Championship. Coach Buckley resides in Tiffin with her husband of 10 years, Tony.

Bryan Ferres: Javelin Coach

Bryan Ferres is beginning his first season with the Dragons after graduating from Miami University of Ohio in 2008. He will focus on coaching the javelin at TU, after a successful collegiate career in the event. In his time at Miami, Ferres completed a degree in physical education and earned three letters in track & field. In addition, Ferres spent his freshman year of school at Otterbein College where he earned another letter in track and a letter in football. A two time MAC scorer in the javelin, Ferres was also the javelin champion at the 2007 All-Ohio Championships. He ranks in the top 15 in Miami in the event and looks forward to beginning his coaching career at Tiffin.

Brian Cole: Pole Vault Coach

Brian Cole will be working with the pole vaulters this year for the Dragons. Cole has served for eleven successful years as the head coach of the Ohio Northern University Track and Field Teams and for five years as the Head Coach at Methodist College (NC). A Tiffin native, Cole was named the Great Lakes Region Women’s Indoor Track & Field Coach of the Year in 1998 and 2006; the Men’s Outdoor Region Coach of the Year in 1995 and 1996; and the Men’s Indoor Region Coach of the Year in 1997. While at ONU, Cole coached two National Champions, 24 All-Americans, 105 Conference Champions, and 301 All-Conference performers. Cole’s experience and expertise will certainly benefit the TU teams this year.

Jason Rose: Distance Coach

Jason Rose will be starting at Tiffin after serving as an assistant coach at Heidelberg College for the past two years. In his time at Heidelberg, Rose led the cross country team to two consecutive NCAA national appearances and also coached cross country All-American and 2006 Division III Runner of the Year, Scott Lasch. Rose was also a member of the 2006 OAC Cross Country Coaching Staff of the Year. A graduate of Wilmington College with a degree in Secondary Education, Rose just finished his Master’s of Education from Heidelberg and also recently completed his Track and Field Level One Certification. Before coming to Heidelberg, Rose spent two years teaching and coaching at Washington High School in Washington Court House, Ohio. During Rose’s time at WHS, the girl’s cross country team ran its first regional qualifying performance in school history. In his own time at Wilmington College, Rose ran on a school-record holding 3200m relay team.