Lasting Impact

Georgetown College football has been a national powerhouse for 30plus years, and in 2021 the College is celebrating a few important anniversaries in that storied history. During the past three decades, there’s been one constant: Coach Bill Cronin. Coach Cronin has led the Tigers to ultimate triumph and continues to build young men into leaders in their communities.

The first team to solidify the Tigers on the national stage was the 1991 team that won the school’s first ever national championship in any sport. This year marks the 30th anniversary of that team’s victory, which occurred on campus at Hinton Field. Then head coach Kevin Donley, who was assisted by Bill Cronin, helped turn the tide for Georgetown football, culminating in a championship win.

That season, the Tigers went 13-1, a single loss coming at the hands of Shepherd. In the tournament, GC ran through Eureka (42-14), Findlay (37-19), Peru State (42-28), and Pacific Lutheran (28-20) to hoist the championship trophy.

Cronin returned in 1997 as head coach, and this season marks his 25th at the helm. Prior to his 25th season, Cronin has posted a 210-63 record with two national titles, two runner-up finishes, three semifinal finishes, 14 MidSouth Conference titles, and 16 national tournament appearances.

“It’s always been the people,” Cronin said on being at Georgetown for 25 years. “It’s been a great place to settle down and watch our boys grow up. A lot of the credit goes to Ellen and our three sons for sacrificing so much so that we can do the things we’ve done here.”

Coach Cronin, not one for personal accolades or awards, has racked them up, nonetheless. He has been named MSC Coach

of the Year eight times, been named NAIA Coach of the Year and AFCA Region Coach of the Year twice, and he was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame in 2019.

“The players make these kinds of things happen, whether it be the hall of fame or winning championships,” Cronin said. “You also have to give a lot of credit to the coaches and players of the past who worked hard to build that tradition. You never accomplish the things you do by yourself.”

This year also marks the 20th anniversary of the 2001 title, a championship win that defined a dominant era in Tiger football.

GC went to four straight national title games from 1999-2002, winning 2000 and 2001. In those four seasons alone, the Tigers were 53-3. It started with the 1999 team going 13-1, losing in the title game to N.W. Oklahoma State (35-26). They then posted back-to-back undefeated seasons for a 28-0 record and two national titles. GC won the first by beating N.W. Oklahoma State (20-0) and followed that with a 49-27 win over University of Sioux Falls. The 2002 season started with a narrow loss to McKendree (17-14). The Tigers reeled off 12 straight wins to advance back to the championship game where Carroll stopped the three-peat with a 28-7 victory. This season might be the toughest of them all as Georgetown faces its second go around in a calendar year. The Tigers played in the spring, going 6-2 in an abbreviated schedule to advance to the national tournament. The years ending in a one have been magical since the 1991 team. The 2001 team followed with a title and the 2011 team, with a rookie quarterback, advanced all the way to the semifinals. The Tigers have made themselves a staple of success in the NAIA, and for nearly three decades, Coach Cronin has been at the heart of it.

YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS TO BE A GEORGETOWN TIGER:

the pride and the preparation for a career; the care that Tigers receive from their faculty, staff, and coaches, and the difference that can make in a life; the commitment to an education of the heart and the mind.

SO THE QUESTION IS: WHO DO YOU KNOW THAT NEEDS TO BE A GEORGETOWN TIGER?

John Roberts (’09) works personally with every legacy student to make sure that they receive personal care and attention throughout the admission process. If you know of a legacy student that we should be recruiting, let him know about it!