Riverside City names Kevin Craft as new head football coach

RIVERSIDE - Riverside City College has named Kevin Craft as the Tigers' new Head Football Coach, announced Tuesday night.

"We are thrilled to have Coach Kevin Craft lead our football team," said RCC President Dr. Claire Oliveros. "We're looking forward to the success he will bring both on and off the field at RCC."

Craft looks to keep momentum going with a historic program after the Tigers have won four conference championships in six years and advanced to the 3C2A State Playoffs the past five seasons (with the exception of 2020 due to Covid).

"We are very lucky to have Coach Kevin Craft," said Interim Vice President of Student Services Dr. Thomas Cruz-Soto, who spearheaded the search. "His expertise as a local, regional, national, and global leader of men maintains our RCC Tigers Football Program as a perennial powerhouse for years to come!

Craft follows his father's footsteps after Tom Craft retired following the 2024 season, closing out a 30-year run at the junior college level.

Kevin Craft spent two seasons under his dad with the Tigers, including 2010 as the Quarterback Coach where he helped RCC rank in the top five offenses in the nation with a 21-1 record.

This past year, Craft was back coaching the quarterbacks and ran the Tiger offense, leading Riverside to its most prolific offense in program history, averaging 53.9 points, 578.8 yards, and 29.8 first downs per game – all of which led the 3C2A. RCC won the National Southern League Championship and finished as the SoCal Regional Runner-Up with a 10-2 overall, 7-0 conference record.

 After his first stint with the Tigers, Craft went to pursue an international professional coaching and playing career in Paris, France. He played and coached for Les Cougars of Saint Ouen au l'Amone, where he broke all the league's single game and season records.

Prior to his return to RCC, Craft spent three years coaching in Japan, leading Big Blue to three spring Pearl Bowl championship games and three X-League championship games – the only championship appearances in the organization's history, making Big Blue one of only four teams to do so in the modern era.

Craft, who played college football at UCLA, becomes the Tigers' 19th coach in program history.

(Sammi Wellman, Riverside City College Athletics)