WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – Andy Crane has been appointed as the first head coach of the Eastern Connecticut State University women's flag football program, it has been announced by Director of Athletics Lori Runksmeier. The flag football program will begin its inaugural season in the spring of 2027.

A native of Montgomery, NY, Crane brings over 20 years of diverse coaching experience to Eastern. Gaining flag football coaching experience last year with the Division III Mount Saint Mary College club team, Crane was responsible for recruiting, budgeting, and game strategies.

There are currently 26 active Division III intercollegiate flag football programs nationwide, with Eastern set to become the first from the Little East Conference.  The NCAA does not currently offer a championship in the sport, as a minimum of 40 institutions are required.

The flag football program will be the 21^st program offered by Eastern – the 12^th for women.

Among the Division III conferences planning to offer women's flag football in the spring of 2026 are the Mid-Atlantic-based Atlantic East Conference, and Empire 8 Athletic Conference and the United East Conference, both based in New York. Currently, the only four-year institution in New England currently scheduled to sponsor the sport on the intercollegiate level in the spring of 2026 is Division II Post University.

The NAIA began sponsoring the sport in 2021.

"I'm so excited to welcome Andy Crane to the Warrior family", Runksmeier said. "Adding flag football is going to complement our sport offerings and I know Andy is going to help us hit the ground running. He has already proven to be a passionate recruiter, and I'm confident he will make our new program prominent quickly."

In addition to women's flag football, Crane's varied coaching experiences on the college and high school levels include those in men's and women's golf, girls' modified basketball,  and baseball.
Most recently, Crane served as the head men's golf coach at Division II Felician University in the fall of 2025. Prior to his time with the Golden Falcons, Crane spent seven years at Mount Saint Mary, where he was the head men's and women's golf coach. He was also a basketball operations assistant, all in correspondence with his flag football coaching experience.

"One team, one goal. Play for the person next to you," says Crane, who is coming to Eastern with high expectations, hoping to develop a culture. "You've only got one shot at starting it for the first time."
Crane's additional professional experience includes as head professional at Turtle Creek Golf Court in Platteville, NY. As an active professional athlete, Crane made 47 starts in golf on the Michelob Ultra Tour, NGA Hooters Tour and Nike Tour, has been involved in independent baseball, and in football with Albany Conquest of the Arena Football League and New York Enforcers of the UFL.  He also held several positions with the New York Jets of the NFL for three years.

Crane graduated from Penn State University in 2015 with a B.S. Degree in Multidisciplinary Studies. He is currently earning his M.S. Degree in Sport Management with a specialization in High Performance Coaching from the University of Florida.

About Women's Flag Football
The sport involves rosters of upwards of 25 athletes and 7-on-7 competition on a playing field measuring 40 by 80 yards. Games consist of four 12-minute quarters. The offense has four downs to cross each 20-yard line for a first down with an option to punt on third down. Teams score six points for a touchdown and can gain an extra one or two points for a set play from the five or ten yard lines. Players will wear tightly-fixed flag belts with sockets and two pop flags on either side of their hips.