SMU Athletics

AWARDS & ACCOLADES
2024 Dave Campbell's Texas Football 40 Under 40 List

BIO
Maurice Crum Jr. joined the SMU staff in January of 2023 and serves as the Mustangs' linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator for the 2024 season.

Crum’s unit played a large role in helping the Mustangs reach new heights in 2024, advancing to the program’s first CFP berth along with an undefeated mark in the first season in the ACC.
 
SMU became the first team to go 8-0 in conference play after moving to a Power 4/5 conference from a Group of Five conference. The 2024 season also marked the first time the Mustangs went undefeated and untied in conference play in conference play in back-to-back seasons.
 
The Mustangs were elite defensively once again in 2024, due in large part to the linebackers room. For the second straight season, they finished in the top five in defensive touchdowns with four, including one by standout LB Kobe Wilson. The mark was also the best in the ACC. SMU posted the second-best rushing defense in program history, allowing just 100.2 yards per game on the ground. The mark was good for seventh best in the FBS and tops in the conference.
 
SMU also got to the quarterback at a high clip in 2024, earning 43 sacks, the third most in program history. The defense was also elite in all three facets during the historic season, with the linebackers playing a large role in the unit ranking in the top 25 in the FBS in multiple different categories including: defensive touchdowns (5th, 4), rushing defense (7th, 100.2), team sacks (10th, 3.07), passes intercepted (14th, 16), fourth down conversion pct. defense (17th, .415), tackles for loss (18th, 7.1), third down conversion pct. defense (19th, .332) and red zone defense (24th, .767).
 
Due to the success in the season, Kobe Wilson was added to the Second Team All-ACC. Wilson also picked up All-American Honorable Mention accolades by Phil Steele.

In his first season with the Mustangs in 2023, Crum's linebackers made their mark immediately, as newcomers Ahmad Walker, Kobe Wilson and Alexander Kilgore all found success on the field, with Wilson and Walker earning all-conference accolades by various publications. The trio powered a Mustang defense that was among the nation's elite in 2023, helping the Mustangs roll to an 11-3 mark, resulting in the first conference championship since 1984, while posting an undefeated record in conference play (8-0). 

The defense dominated its opposition on all three levels, ranking in the top 25 in the FBS in several categories including: defensive touchdowns (1st, 5), sacks (3rd, 47), third down defense (4th, .281), team passing efficiency defense (9th, 115.28), scoring defense (11th, 17.8), total defense (12th, 304.1), passing yards allowed (13th, 182.2), TFLs per game (16th, 7.1), blocked kicks (21st, 2) and red zone defense (25th, .778).

Wilson (80) and Walker (65) finished the year as the top two tacklers on the team. Walker also had 6.5 TFLs and five pass breakups.

Kilgore showed promise in his debut collegiate season under Crum Jr., finishing with 36 tackles and 6.5 TFLs.

Crum was recognized for the job he did with his unit, being named to Dave Campbell's Texas Football's prestigious 40 Under 40 list in the summer of 2024. 

Crum arrived on the Hilltop after one season at Ole Miss, where he served as co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. He helped the Rebels to an 8-5 record and an appearance in the TaxAct Texas Bowl. Ole Miss ranked 13th in the FBS and second in the SEC in fumbles recovered (12) and was 27th nationally and third in the league in sacks (2.69).

Prior to his time in Oxford, Crum spent five seasons at Western Kentucky, where he served as defensive coordinator in 2021. The Hilltopper defense held opponents to 21 points or less in seven of their last eight regular season games in 2021.

In 2020, Crum served as co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, helping the defense to national rankings of eighth in passing yards allowed (177.3), 28th in total yards allowed (348.7) and 41st in points allowed (25.3) per game.

A top-25 defense in 2019, WKU allowed only 20.1 points per game, ranking No. 22 in the FBS and setting the best mark in program history, and held opponents to a 29.7% third down conversion percentage, sixth nationally. The Hilltoppers ranked third in FBS with only 82 missed tackles all season long.

In 2018, Crum mentored linebacker Ben Holt who set WKU’s FBS-era record for tackles per game (9.67) with 116 tackles in 12 games. He also served as co-special teams coordinator. In 2017, Crum helped Joel Iyiegbuniwe to All-Conference USA First-Team honors. He led the Hilltoppers in tackles with 116, the third-most in a single season in the FBS era, and tackles for loss with 11.5. The junior declared for the NFL Draft was selected in the fourth round by the Chicago Bears.

Crum spent the 2016 season at Indiana State, where he coached corners and nickelbacks, and during the 2015 season, he served as a defensive graduate assistant at Notre Dame, helping the Fighting Irish to an appearance in the Fiesta Bowl.

In three seasons at Kansas, Crum started as a graduate assistant (2012), before being elevated to the assistant director of operations (2013) and eventually the director of high school relations (2014).

A four-year letterwinner at Notre Dame (2005-08), Crum appeared in 50 games, making 42 consecutive starts. He registered 306 tackles, including 23 TFLs and eight sacks. His 306 career tackles ranked 11th in program history. Crum served as a two-time team captain (2007 & 2008), making him one of only 17 players in school history to have accomplished the feat.

Following his collegiate career, Crum had a three-year stint in the UFL (2009-11).

Crum graduated in 2009 with a degree in Sociology and is married to the former Crysta Swayzer. The couple has three sons, Maurice III, Allen and Noah. Crum’s father, Maurice Sr., was a consensus All-American at Miami in 1990.