Penn State hoops assistant lands Air Force head coaching position

The first domino in an offseason of change for the Penn State men’s basketball program has fallen.

Joe Crispin, a former Nittany Lion and current assistant to head coach Mike Rhoades, has accepted the vacant head coaching position at the Air Force Academy.

Crispin has informed Penn State of his decision, Blue White Illustrated has learned. Jon Rothstein first reported the news of Crispin’s expected hire at Air Force.

One of five assistant coaches under Rhoades listed on Penn State’s men’s basketball directory, Crispin served in a role created following the arrival of new NCAA rules in July 2023. Up from a previous limit of three assistant coaches, Division I staffs were permitted to add two more for skill instruction, with the only restriction being off-campus recruiting.

Welcoming Crispin to the staff, Rhoades offered his assessment of his presence around the program and the impact he’s had on players and fellow assistants.

“It’s been a lot of fun. I have great respect for Joe. He goes about life in the game very much like the rest of our staff. Family and basketball. And that’s how we all are around here. He shows that off every day,” Rhoades said. “He has very good relationships and he’s a great communicator with our players. And I think that’s really helped us.

“He’s brought in some new things to our program. But also, there are things he and I will talk about, and we might not have the answers. He’ll go home and I’ll go home, and we’ll come back the next day and figure them out. He’s a hoop head like the rest of us, just trying to find things that are going to help this team win. And I love it. I love a different approach. I love his personality.”

Now, Crispin takes over for interim coach Jon Jordan with the Falcons. Air Force has four NCAA Tournament appearances in its history, last coming in 2006, and last won the Mountain West in 2004.

This season, the Falcons finished last in the conference, going just 3-29 and leading to the dismissal of head coach Joe Scott. Scott was suspended in January during an investigation into his treatment of players. Following the academy’s findings, he was relieved of his position on Feb. 20.

The move for Crispin comes after three seasons on Rhoades’ staff, having arrived following a seven-year stint as head coach at Rowan University. There, he led the Profs to a 114-54 record with three NCAA Division III Tournament appearances.

At Penn State, where he held the title of offensive coordinator, the Nittany Lions set a program record for scoring at 79.1 points per game during the 2024-25 campaign. That output followed a 2023-24 debut in which Penn State averaged 75.1 points per game en route to a 16-17 overall record and a 9-11 mark in Big Ten play.

This past season marked a step back on multiple fronts in Rhoades’ third year at the helm. Despite a 9-2 nonconference record, Penn State went 3-17 in Big Ten play and lost in the first round of the conference tournament in Chicago last week.

Averaging 73.7 points per game, the Nittany Lions ranked No. 237 nationally in scoring while finishing 12-20 overall.

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