Longtime Arp basketball coach has died
Posted/updated on: July 6, 2026 at 9:47 pm
ARP – Renowned East Texas boys basketball coach Charles Joseph “Joe” Crawford died at 69-years-old last week, after a lengthy career as a leading coach all across northeast Texas.
According to our news partner KETK, Crawford was born in Carthage in 1957 and he graduated from Henderson High School in 1975, after setting a scoring record while playing basketball for the Lions.
He then attended Kilgore College and went on to get his bachelor’s degree from Stephen F. Austin State University in 1979. Crawford then spent the next 43 years coaching boys’ basketball at the following schools at Buffalo, Arp, Gilmer, Henderson, Dallas Christian, Grace Community and Tyler Legacy.
After his last head coaching job at Arp, Crawford retired in 2023 after accumulating a total of 401 career coaching wins. As a teacher, Crawford educated students in world history, United States history, Texas history and health.
