In this photo taken Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2011, West Liberty basketball heard coach Jim Crutchfield directs his team during college basketball practice on the campus of the Division II school in West Liberty, W.Va. The team is undefeated (23-0), averaging 118 points and ranked No. 1 in Division II. (AP Photo/Mark Stahl)

WHEELING – One of the best-kept secrets among denizens of the Ohio Valley received some shine earlier this week when The Athletic delivered a lengthy piece on coaching legend Jim Crutchfield, who manned the helm of the West Liberty boys basketball team from 2004-2017.

The article, published on Jan. 8, centered around the admiration that Crutchfield had earned from big names in the collegiate and coaching ranks like Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra and Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla.

Though it may seem like a career Division-II college coach might not have much to teach NBA headmen, the coaches themselves begged to differ in the article, titled “NBA greats think this D-II coach is a basketball genius. So why don’t you know who he is?”

“He’s not swayed by conventional wisdom,” Spoelstra said of Crutchfield in the story, written by CJ Moore. “He’s just a really unique, innovative thinker. He can get to a conclusion in such a more simple way than the majority of us would.”

“He just cuts to the obvious,” Spoelstra said. “Always just questioning, like, why? Why would people do it this way? And then when he explains it and says it, you’re like, yeah, why didn’t I think of that?”

Crutchfield, who has coached Nova Southeastern since leaving West Liberty, has received regular visits from Spoelstra, both coaching in the Miami area. Nova Southeastern is 112-4 over the last four seasons and won the 2023 national championship against the Hilltoppers.

The 69-year old Crutchfield was fresh out of college pursuing a career in law when he dropped everything to accept a head coaching job for the Cameron Dragons boys basketball team. From there, he accepted an assistant job at West Liberty, left the basketball arena to coach tennis at the school for a time, and eventually found his way back to a struggling Hilltoppers basketball program in 2004.

West Liberty jumped from a four-win season to a 21-10 campaign. In his seventh season, his team went undefeated in the regular season and made it to the final four, the first of seven straight NCAA tournament appearances.

Overall with West Liberty, Crutchfield went 359-61 (.855). At both West Liberty and Nova Southeastern, Crutchfield has a winning percentage of 86.4%, the highest mark of any coach at any level with at least 10 NCAA seasons under their belt.

“I’ve had the opportunity to coach against the best coaches in the country,” said Eric Bovaird, the head coach at Chaminade and Crutchfield’s first assistant at West Liberty. “We played Gonzaga three times. We played North Carolina. We have played against just about everybody. I’ve been around these guys. I’ve seen their practices. I’ve prepared for them. And, deep down, I’m thinking the best coach in the country is Jim Crutchfield from Nova Southeastern.”

Joe Mazzulla saw Crutchfield live and in-person while an assistant coach at Fairmont State. Though a star coach in his own right at this point, Mazzulla spoke fondly of Crutchfield when interviewed for the story.

“He thinks the game differently,” Mazzulla said. “He doesn’t get caught up in all the fluff.”

With an uncompromising breakneck style of play, Crutchfield’s legacy as a man ahead of his time is building steam as he continues to build on his career, Nova Southeastern currently enjoying another winning season at 13-1 so far.