Marquette adds assistant Rodney Crawford to complete Shaka Smart's staff

Marquette adds assistant Rodney Crawford to complete Shaka Smart's staff

Shaka Smart's new Marquette men's basketball coaching staff is complete.

MU announced on May 12 that Rodney Crawford has been hired as an assistant coach.

Crawford spent the last five seasons at South Alabama, including three as associate head coach. He joins Jeremy Ballard, who was hired in April, as newcomers to Smart's staff. They replace Nevada Smith, the new head coach at Siena, and DeAndre Haynes from last season's staff.

"Coach Rock brings incredible passion, toughness and basketball acumen to our program," Smart said in a statement. "Over his career, he's proven that he can help players elevate their games and consistently impact the defensive end with his presence and grit."

Crawford has also spent time at Cincinnati, Fordham and Eastern Kentucky. He played at Cincinnati from 2000-2002.

"Joining Marquette is truly an honor," Crawford said in a statement. "I've always had tremendous respect for Coach Smart and the culture he has built. The energy, toughness, and connectedness of his teams have always stood out to me. The opportunity to be part of a program defined by strong values, passionate people, and a championship mindset is something I'm incredibly grateful for. I'm excited to be in Milwaukee and ready to get to work."

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Marquette adds assistant Rodney Crawford to complete Shaka Smart's staff