Former All-American Cribbs joins football coaching staff
Posted: 08/10/2012
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – As the Lehigh football team opened preseason camp earlier this week, head coach Andy Coen announced that former All-American Jarard Cribbs ’11 has joined the Mountain Hawks coaching staff. Cribbs, a four-year letter winner for the Brown and White, will assist with Lehigh’s defensive backs. He replaces Charles Alexander who accepted a position at East Stroudsburg University.
“The timing worked out well for both parties,” said Coen. “Jarard has always aspired to be a coach and during his time here he was a very astute football player. He is a student of the game. He has always stated close to the program. He’s passionate about Lehigh. I’m excited to have him here.”
A key contributor to Lehigh’s 2010 Patriot League championship team, Cribbs earned first team All-America honors from the Sports Network, capping a career where he was a three-year starter at cornerback and Lehigh’s top punt returner. Cribbs was a playmaker for one of the Patriot League’s top defenses in 2010, as he totaled seven interceptions, the most in the Patriot League since 2004 and the most by a Lehigh player since 1986.
The 2010 season saw Cribbs pick off two passes in an early-season win over Princeton and had streak of three straight games with an interception. In a win over Colgate he took an interception back 48 yards for a touchdown. Cribbs ranked fifth on the Mountain Hawks with 59 total tackles in 2010. He also led Lehigh with 12 passes defensed and delivered a key blocked field goal in Lehigh’s first round FCS playoff win at Northern Iowa.
Cribbs was a three-time All-Patriot League selection, earning first team honors in his final two seasons. He was also an asset to the Mountain Hawks as a punt returner. He earned a Patriot League Special Teams Player of the Week award after returning seven punts for 107 yards (including a 60-yarder) against Fordham in 2009. Cribbs also took a punt back 82 yards for a touchdown versus Cornell in 2008 for his first collegiate score.
Born in Omaha, Nebraska, the well-traveled Cribbs attended Lackey High School in Waldorf, Maryland. He spent part of the 2011-12 school year at Lehigh completing his degree in psychology. Cribbs spent his spring playing professionally for the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks of the Indoor Football League.
“We’ve had great success in the past with Ernest (Moore ’08) and Justin (Weaver ’08),” Coen says about former Lehigh student-athletes-turned-coaches. “Jarard understands that tradition. It’s only been a couple days and he’s just starting to get his feet wet but we’re really excited to have him.”
The Mountain Hawks will open the 2012 season on Saturday September 1 when they host the Monmouth Hawks at Goodman Stadium. Kickoff is set for just after 12:30 p.m. Tickets to the Monmouth game and all Lehigh home football games can be purchased by calling 610-7LU-GAME or by visiting Lehighsports.com.