February 12, 2002

FURMAN NAMES DREW CRONIC
WIDE RECEIVERS COACH

GREENVILLE -- Furman head football coach Bobby Lamb announced today the hiring of Drew Cronic as the Paladins' new wide receivers coach.

Cronic, 27, who spent the last three seasons as wide receivers coach at James Madison University, replaces Ted Cain, who recently accepted a similar position at Vanderbilt.

"Drew Cronic has a very good football background, and we're happy he is joining our program," said Lamb on Tuesday. "He played for his father, Danny Cronic, at East Coweta (Ga.) High School and later at the University of Georgia, and he is very familiar with our program, having attended our quarterbacks and receivers camp as a player and for years as a coach."

A native of Sharpsburg, Ga., Cronic lettered as a wide receiver and as a member of special teams at Georgia from 1994-97, and participated in the 1995 Peach Bowl and 1997 Outback Bowl. As a senior he received Georgia's first Leon Farmer Strength and Conditioning Award, which is given annually to the football player whose weight room work ethic made the greatest contribution to the football program.

After earning his bachelor's degree in mathematics education from Georgia in 1997, he served as a graduate assistant coach in charge of receivers at West Georgia for two seasons, including work with the school's 1998 team that compiled a 10-2 record and competed in the NCAA Division II playoffs. He received his master's degree in educational leadership in 1998.

Following his tenure at West Georgia, he accepted his first full-time assistant coaching position as receivers coach and assistant recruiting coordinator at James Madison in March of 1999 under Dukes head coach Mickey Matthews, who had served as an assistant at Georgia during Cronic's playing career. While at JMU, he coached Earnest Payton, who in 2000 became the school's career receptions leader.

Cronic is newleywed, having married to the former Amelia Williams on July 7, 2001.