Chambana Sun

Illinois head coach Brad Underwood has announced the addition of Camryn Crocker to the Fighting Illini basketball staff as an assistant coach. Crocker, a former Ivy League player at Penn, brings ten years of coaching experience, most recently serving as an assistant at Colgate.

"Camryn Crocker is a dynamic coach who will fit perfectly into the Illinois family," Underwood stated. "He has experience from coast to coast, growing up in California, playing in the Ivy League, working the prep school ranks in the Northeast, and having Division I experience at Stanford and Colgate; he has clearly achieved a lot in his young career. Camryn has an outstanding defensive mind, a great understanding on that side of the ball. He also is known as an elite on-court teacher. And his biggest strength is that he builds tremendous relationships and is a connector. He is very smart, someone who really understands the modern game, and will bring fresh and innovative ideas to our program."

Crocker expressed enthusiasm about joining Illinois: "I am so grateful for the opportunity to join the Fighting Illini family and continue to build on the momentum that has already been established here," he said. "I am excited to learn, grow, and make an impact at the highest level of college basketball and for a program as storied and successful as Illinois. It is time to embark on a new challenge, and I look forward to building relationships with the players, coaches, recruits, and throughout the campus and community. I'm eager to get to work and help the individuals and group achieve its maximum potential."

Crocker's recent tenure at Colgate under head coach Matt Langel saw significant success with back-to-back Patriot League championships in 2023 and 2024. The team earned automatic NCAA Tournament bids during these seasons while setting a school record with 26 wins in his first year.

Before his role at Colgate, Crocker was part of Stanford's staff for three seasons as director of player development under Jerod Haase. During this period, Stanford won 20 games in one season with a highly ranked defense by kenpom.

Crocker's earlier coaching experiences include three years at Northfield Mount Hermon (NMH) in Massachusetts where he helped lead them to multiple championships. His career began in Los Angeles at Verbum Dei High School alongside coaching within Nike's EYBL circuit.

A native of Cypress, California, Crocker played four years of college basketball at Penn where he served as team captain during his senior year. He holds two degrees from Penn: a Bachelor of Arts obtained in 2015 followed by a Master of Science in Education completed three years later.

Crocker resides with his wife Taylor.