Among college basketball tributes, there’s a “Coach K Court” at Duke honoring Coach Mike Krzyzewski, a “Roy Williams Court” at North Carolina, a “Jim Boeheim Court” at Syracuse, and a “Billy Donovan Court” at the University of Florida. This year, Nova Southeastern University will add another name to the list when it christens the floor at the Rick Case Arena for Jim Crutchfield, its legendary men’s basketball coach.
The special tribute to name the arena floor “Crutchfield Court” will take place on Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, at the Don Taft University Center at 3301 College Ave., Davie, Fla., before NSU’s 5 p.m. home opener against big-time rival the University of Alabama—Huntsville.
Under Crutchfield’s leadership, NSU’s men’s basketball team is the most dominant team playing on any court in the current landscape of college basketball, currently holding an 84-game, home winning streak.
“Coach Crutch” has left an indelible mark on NSU Athletics during his eight seasons at the university—a winning spirit that has drawn national attention. In the past four seasons alone, Crutchfield and his team have compiled incredible records.
- 2021–22: 31-1 overall, 20-0 in conference, NCAA Division II Elite Eight
- 2022–23: 36-0 overall, 20-0 in conference, NCAA Division II Champion
- 2023–24: 32-3 overall, 18-2 in conference, NCAA Division II Runner-up
- 2024–25: 36-1 overall, 19-1 in conference, NCAA Division II Champion
As he embarks on his ninth season at NSU, Crutchfield has amassed a dizzying 563-86 record over 20 seasons as a head coach—a feat that no other basketball coach with 10 or more years at the college level can match.
Crutchfield was hired on March 21, 2017, following a historical stint at West Liberty, and quickly introduced a pressing, up-tempo style of play that was unfamiliar to the Shark faithful. His recipe for success that had worked during the previous 13 years in the state of West Virginia transformed a 6-20 program into a Sunshine State Conference contender after less than 12 months on the job.
Crutchfield’s success on the court has gained the attention of coaches across the country, even reaching the National Basketball Association (NBA), as the Sharks’ bench boss was featured in The New York Times on Jan. 13, 2025.
https://news.nova.edu/news-releases/nsu-sharks-to-christen-arena-floor-crutchfield-court
