Ron Crawford, the longtime AAU basketball coach of the Arkansas Wings organization, died Saturday. He was 76.
His family announced Crawford's passing on his Facebook page.
Crawford, who entered a hospice facility July 7 after enduring health issues, founded and started coaching the Wings in 1980. He led teams to a combined nine national championships in the 16-under division, 17-under division and senior division.
His teams finished in the top 10 at the national tournament 16 times. Crawford was a head coach for one of three teams in the 2005 USA Basketball Men’s Youth Development Festival.
Crawford served as an assistant coach to the 1995 and 1996 USA Junior National Select Team. He also worked on the committee that selected coaches and players for the Youth Development Festival from 2000-04.
The Wings organization produced SEC players of the year Corliss Williamson and Bobby Portis at Arkansas, as well as former Razorbacks Moses Kingsley, Jason Jennings, Hunter Mickelson, Rashad Madden and Dusty Hannahs.