Leighton McCrary

Leighton McCrary (1952-2016)

Teams coached: Grand Canyon Antelopes
Grand Canyon record^: 216-178 (.548)
Overall record^: 216-178 (.548)

Career Accomplishments:

• NCAA National Championships:  0
• NCAA Tournament Appearances:  0
• NIT Championships:  0
• NIT Appearances:  0
• Pacific West (Div II) Regular Season Champion:  1  (1992)
• CCAA (Div II) Tournament Champion:  1  (1995)
• NCAA Division II Tournament Appearances:  7  (1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998)

Awards:

• Pac West (Div II) Coach of the Year:  1  (1992)

Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):

1990-2004	Grand Canyon
1984-1990	Arkansas State (asst)

Leighton McCrary Facts

• Leighton McCrary
• Born March 25, 1952
• Died August 21, 2016
• Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
• Alma Mater: Philander Smith College (BA, 1974) / University of Arkansas at Little Rock (M.Ed, 1982)
• A graduate of Dunbar HS in Chicago, where he participated in several sports but excelled in basketball
• Moved to Arkansas after high school for college, getting degrees from both Philander Smith and later from Arkansas-Little Rock
  • During and after this time, McCrary served as both an educator and coach at a couple of different high schools in the state
  • Was the boys’ head basketball coach at Eastside HS in Menifee, and later at Park View HS in Little Rock
• Joined the college basketball ranks in 1984 as an assistant on Nelson Catalina‘s staff at Arkansas State
  • Worked with the program for six years, a tenure that included three trips to the NIT
• Hired in 1990 to be the head coach at then-Division II Grand Canyon in Arizona; led the Antelopes for the next fourteen seasons
  • Became a postseason fixture early in his tenure, leading GCU to seven D-II NCAA Tournaments in his first eight seasons
  • Also captured a Great Northwest (now Pac West) title in 1992 and a CCAA Tournament title in 1995; named league COY in 1992
  • Compiled an overall record of 216-178, turning GCU into a premier D-II program and laid the foundation for their eventual D-I transition
• Left GCU in 2004 but stayed in Arizona, becoming the head girls’ basketball coach at Agua Fria HS in Avondale
• Moved back to Arkansas in 2006 and served as head coach of the boys’ basketball and golf teams at Newport HS (AR)
  • Spent nine years at the school before retiring in 2015
• Passed away in 2016 at the age of 64; survived by his wife, Jacqulin, two sons, four daughters and ten grandchildren

Leighton McCrary Coaching Tree

• Scott Mossman (Grand Canyon, California Baptist)

 

^ overall record includes head coaching positions at the NCAA Division II level only; GCU was a D-II program during McCrary’s tenure as head coach