Armstrong Named Crawford Football Coach

Dan Armstrong has been named football coach at Crawford High, replacing interim coach Roger Engle, the school has announced.

Armstrong, 35, was Engle’s offensive and defensive coordinator for two years. He has been an assistant football coach at Crawford for five years.

Armstrong, a 1971 graduate of Kearny High School, was an all-league fullback, played at Mesa College for two years and played under coach for two years (1973-74) at San Diego State University.

As an Aztec, Armstrong’s teams went 9-1-1 his junior year and 8-2-1 his senior year, when Craig Penrose played quarterback.

Armstrong was an assistant football coach at Kearny for three years before he was named head coach at Walsh Jesuit High School in Ohio.

After four years in Ohio, Armstrong returned to San Diego as an assistant at Crawford.

Engle, who is also Crawford’s baseball coach, said the coaching two sports took up too much time. Engle will continue to coach baseball and assist in football.

“I’m looking forward to going back and being an assistant in football,” he said. “And, of course, I’ll continue to coach baseball.”

Engle’s coaching record over two years at Crawford was 13-10. Last season Crawford lost to Mar Vista in the first round CIF playoffs, 21-0.

Armstrong has a bachelor’s degree in physical education with a minor in biology from SDSU and recently earned his teaching credential in biology from Point Loma Nazarene College.

He will teach biology and physical education at Crawford.