Boynton Beach wasted little time filling its head football coaching vacancy.
Derrick Crudup (center, in black) will replace Errick Lowe as Boynton Beach’s head football coach. Lowe stepped down Tuesday after two seasons. (2015 Post file photo)
Just two days after embattled coach Errick Lowe announced his resignation, the school promoted defensive coordinator Derrick Crudup Sr. to fill the position, Crudup confirmed Thursday night.
Crudup has coached football for more than two decades, and said he looks forward to the opportunity to build a winning program with the Tigers.
“This is a dream come true,” he said. “I love it. I want to thank the principal, Fred Barch, for giving me the opportunity. It’s just my time. I build a lot of programs for people. I’ve coached for over than 25 years. I’m excited about it. We’ve got a bunch of good student-athletes at Boynton.”
Crudup said he plans to hire a new coaching staff, and hopes to bring over his son, Derrick Jr., from Canterbury School in Fort Myers. Crudup Jr. is a former University of Miami quarterback.
“I’m going to go in a different direction,” Crudup said. “We’re going to build with a new staff.”
Lowe, who went 10-10 in two seasons with the Tigers and made one playoff appearance, stepped down in the midst of controversy.
As the Post reported exclusively March 20, Lowe and his staff have been accused by former defensive coordinator Korey Banks of improperly contacting players in an effort to lure them to Boynton Beach.
Banks was let go from his head coaching position at Santaluces after Boynton Beach made similar allegations against him late last year. Banks denied the allegations.
The Boynton Beach football program also is being investigated by the state’s Office of Inspector General over questions raised about fundraising for the team, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Crudup spent the past two seasons as the defensive coordinator at American Heritage before joining the Boynton Beach staff in February.
He played high school football at Boca Raton, college football at Oklahoma, and spent two seasons with the NFL’s Los Angeles Raiders.
He was inducted into the Palm Beach County Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.
