Photo by: Mississippi State Athletics
Bodies Built By Crane
August 04, 2021 | Men's Basketball, Joel Coleman
Strength and conditioning coach Collin Crane is a vital piece of the MSU men’s basketball program
STARKVILLE – Mention the name of Collin Crane to Derek Fountain and Fountain, Mississippi State's sophomore forward, gets a bit befuddled when trying to put a label on his strength and conditioning coach.
"Coach Crane is the definition of 110 percent daily every day," Fountain said. "There's not a different Crane. There's not a sad Crane. There's just a 100-percent Crane. He's the same guy every day. I've never seen anything like it."
Unchanging. All out. All the time. Every single day. That's Collin Crane.
Ask almost anyone associated with Mississippi State men's basketball about the program's backbone and it won't be long before you'll hear about Crane's up-tempo style, positivity and stability as crucial elements to the success of individual Bulldog players as well as overall team success.
Crane might not get the headlines. He could probably stroll right through Starkville's Cotton District with very little fanfare. Yet inside the Humphrey Coliseum, seemingly everyone knows who Crane is and they are quick to point out his importance, as well as give thanks, that Crane is a Bulldog.
"Collin Crane is the best strength coach I've ever worked with," State head coach Ben Howland said.
That's incredibly high praise coming from Howland, a man that has been coaching in college basketball for nearly four decades now with a resume that includes 515 wins and three appearances in the Final Four.
"We've been really fortunate to retain [Crane] here and have the continuity with him," Howland said. "His knowledge, his experience in the strength and conditioning room, his constant drive to improve himself so that he can help our players get better is really and truly amazing. He is a guy that is relentlessly positive every single day of his life with our guys. He's phenomenal. You can see and talk to our former players. Talk to Robert [Woodard II] or talk to [Quinndary Weatherspoon] or talk to Reggie [Perry]. Talk to Tyson [Carter] or whoever you want to talk to. They all recognize [Crane] was a big part of their development and helping them become the players that they've become."
Of course Woodard II, Weatherspoon and Perry are three of MSU's most recent additions to the NBA landscape. Carter spent last season playing professionally overseas. Those four stand as perhaps the most prominent examples of Crane's crafting.
These days, a new group of Bulldogs are coming up under Crane's tutelage. MSU is already preparing for the 2021-22 season and everyone, from the veterans to the newbies, are quick to point out Crane is doing his part to lay a foundation that'll hopefully serve as a floor for a big dance come March.
"I really don't know where to start," junior guard Iverson Molinar said when trying to lay out what Crane means to him. "He does so many good things that makes us get better. A lot of people don't see what all he does. I feel like he has good leadership qualities. I take that from him. He's vocal. He always has a good amount of energy. It's just good for everybody. It's like gum on your shoes, once you get it, you have it now. He gets us stronger for the court, but he also gets us stronger to prevent injuries. He's really good at that. I'm just excited for him to be in my journey as a basketball player."
Crane's impact goes far beyond the weight room. And it's not just about conditioning or stamina. The Crane method of training focuses on all the details. There's a genuine care for each player's well being.
"He's like my dad," sophomore forward Andersson Garcia says of Crane.
So exactly who is Collin Crane? And what drives him to play so big of a part of his athletes' lives?
Well it certainly helps Crane relate to players, the fact he's a former college basketball player himself. Crane was a leader even then as he played at Carson-Newman, was a four-year starter and a three-time team captain. His demeanor was such that, upon graduating, the university announced the Collin Crane Leadership Award in his honor.
Crane graduated with a degree in exercise science in 2013, then embarked on a career in strength and conditioning that has seen him make stops at Florida, Missouri State and Chattanooga. Crane came to MSU prior to the 2017-18 season.
Since Crane's arrival, he's helped the Bulldogs accumulate an 86-49 overall record and State has participated in postseason play during every fully completed season since he joined the Mississippi State staff. That's of course not even to mention the individual success achieved by Woodard, Weatherspoon, Perry, Carter, as well as others such as Aric Holman and Lamar Peters, under Crane's watch.
Put simply, Crane is a difference maker. He attributes much of that to his own desire to win and be the best he can be. By putting his competitiveness on display, Crane hopes to get that same attitude out of the young men he coaches.
"When I wake up every day, I'm a lot more like our players than probably they realize," Crane said. "I wake up as a competitor first and foremost. That's what drives me. As soon as my feet hit the floor, it's time to go compete. It's not a fear of failure that drives me, it's just the continuous desire to chase success that keeps driving me. As coaches, we're really teachers. So I think what better way to teach our guys how to act every day than to exemplify those traits and those key values in our program?"
Those under Crane's tutelage quickly learn just how important winning and getting better are to him. Don't even try to cut corners to get there. There'll be none of that.
"Don't miss a rep," freshman guard Cam Carter says with the type of tone that indicates he likely knows from experience.
"You definitely don't want to show up late for anything," adds junior guard Isaac Stansbury. "I've done that once. It'll definitely make you learn to not be late."
The little things add up. It's why Crane doesn't just preach it. He lives it out.
"I don't feel a pressure to do that; I feel a responsibility to my program to do that," Crane said. "I think there's a big difference. Ultimately, our players are going to reflect what they see in us. That's from Coach Howland to the three assistant coaches to our entire support staff, strength and conditioning and Seth Tisdale, our athletic trainer, included. Team culture is not how you do one thing. It's how you do everything."
Crane's methods are all a part of Mississippi State men's basketball's grander plan. Crane says there is a focus on growing the root of the program and not the fruit. The wins will come. The accolades will be there. But to get them, it takes everything you've got, every single day.
If anyone needs a reminder of that, they need only to look at Crane.
"He's always going to be in your corner and trying to push you to your limit and get the best out of you," junior forward Javian Davis said of Crane. "He's good at what he does and you can tell it by the way the team looks and the way we play."
"Coach Crane is the definition of 110 percent daily every day," Fountain said. "There's not a different Crane. There's not a sad Crane. There's just a 100-percent Crane. He's the same guy every day. I've never seen anything like it."
Unchanging. All out. All the time. Every single day. That's Collin Crane.
Ask almost anyone associated with Mississippi State men's basketball about the program's backbone and it won't be long before you'll hear about Crane's up-tempo style, positivity and stability as crucial elements to the success of individual Bulldog players as well as overall team success.
Crane might not get the headlines. He could probably stroll right through Starkville's Cotton District with very little fanfare. Yet inside the Humphrey Coliseum, seemingly everyone knows who Crane is and they are quick to point out his importance, as well as give thanks, that Crane is a Bulldog.
"Collin Crane is the best strength coach I've ever worked with," State head coach Ben Howland said.
That's incredibly high praise coming from Howland, a man that has been coaching in college basketball for nearly four decades now with a resume that includes 515 wins and three appearances in the Final Four.
"We've been really fortunate to retain [Crane] here and have the continuity with him," Howland said. "His knowledge, his experience in the strength and conditioning room, his constant drive to improve himself so that he can help our players get better is really and truly amazing. He is a guy that is relentlessly positive every single day of his life with our guys. He's phenomenal. You can see and talk to our former players. Talk to Robert [Woodard II] or talk to [Quinndary Weatherspoon] or talk to Reggie [Perry]. Talk to Tyson [Carter] or whoever you want to talk to. They all recognize [Crane] was a big part of their development and helping them become the players that they've become."
Of course Woodard II, Weatherspoon and Perry are three of MSU's most recent additions to the NBA landscape. Carter spent last season playing professionally overseas. Those four stand as perhaps the most prominent examples of Crane's crafting.
These days, a new group of Bulldogs are coming up under Crane's tutelage. MSU is already preparing for the 2021-22 season and everyone, from the veterans to the newbies, are quick to point out Crane is doing his part to lay a foundation that'll hopefully serve as a floor for a big dance come March.
"I really don't know where to start," junior guard Iverson Molinar said when trying to lay out what Crane means to him. "He does so many good things that makes us get better. A lot of people don't see what all he does. I feel like he has good leadership qualities. I take that from him. He's vocal. He always has a good amount of energy. It's just good for everybody. It's like gum on your shoes, once you get it, you have it now. He gets us stronger for the court, but he also gets us stronger to prevent injuries. He's really good at that. I'm just excited for him to be in my journey as a basketball player."
Crane's impact goes far beyond the weight room. And it's not just about conditioning or stamina. The Crane method of training focuses on all the details. There's a genuine care for each player's well being.
"He's like my dad," sophomore forward Andersson Garcia says of Crane.
So exactly who is Collin Crane? And what drives him to play so big of a part of his athletes' lives?
Well it certainly helps Crane relate to players, the fact he's a former college basketball player himself. Crane was a leader even then as he played at Carson-Newman, was a four-year starter and a three-time team captain. His demeanor was such that, upon graduating, the university announced the Collin Crane Leadership Award in his honor.
Crane graduated with a degree in exercise science in 2013, then embarked on a career in strength and conditioning that has seen him make stops at Florida, Missouri State and Chattanooga. Crane came to MSU prior to the 2017-18 season.
Since Crane's arrival, he's helped the Bulldogs accumulate an 86-49 overall record and State has participated in postseason play during every fully completed season since he joined the Mississippi State staff. That's of course not even to mention the individual success achieved by Woodard, Weatherspoon, Perry, Carter, as well as others such as Aric Holman and Lamar Peters, under Crane's watch.
Put simply, Crane is a difference maker. He attributes much of that to his own desire to win and be the best he can be. By putting his competitiveness on display, Crane hopes to get that same attitude out of the young men he coaches.
"When I wake up every day, I'm a lot more like our players than probably they realize," Crane said. "I wake up as a competitor first and foremost. That's what drives me. As soon as my feet hit the floor, it's time to go compete. It's not a fear of failure that drives me, it's just the continuous desire to chase success that keeps driving me. As coaches, we're really teachers. So I think what better way to teach our guys how to act every day than to exemplify those traits and those key values in our program?"
Those under Crane's tutelage quickly learn just how important winning and getting better are to him. Don't even try to cut corners to get there. There'll be none of that.
"Don't miss a rep," freshman guard Cam Carter says with the type of tone that indicates he likely knows from experience.
"You definitely don't want to show up late for anything," adds junior guard Isaac Stansbury. "I've done that once. It'll definitely make you learn to not be late."
The little things add up. It's why Crane doesn't just preach it. He lives it out.
"I don't feel a pressure to do that; I feel a responsibility to my program to do that," Crane said. "I think there's a big difference. Ultimately, our players are going to reflect what they see in us. That's from Coach Howland to the three assistant coaches to our entire support staff, strength and conditioning and Seth Tisdale, our athletic trainer, included. Team culture is not how you do one thing. It's how you do everything."
Crane's methods are all a part of Mississippi State men's basketball's grander plan. Crane says there is a focus on growing the root of the program and not the fruit. The wins will come. The accolades will be there. But to get them, it takes everything you've got, every single day.
If anyone needs a reminder of that, they need only to look at Crane.
"He's always going to be in your corner and trying to push you to your limit and get the best out of you," junior forward Javian Davis said of Crane. "He's good at what he does and you can tell it by the way the team looks and the way we play."
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