Tom Craft

Thomas Jay Craft (born November 12, 1953) is an American football coach and former quarterback, who served as the head coach of the Riverside City Tigers from August 2010 until his retirement in December 2024. He played college football at Monterey Peninsula and San Diego State. He then served as the head football coach Palomar from 1983 to 1993 and at San Diego State from 2002 to 2005.

Craft is the father of former UCLA quarterback Kevin Craft.

Career Craft graduated from Pacific Grove High School, in Pacific Grove, California, and thereafter played quarterback at San Diego State University.

After serving as an assistant coach at Palomar College from 1977 to 1982 and with the school openly questioning its commitment to football, he took over head coaching duties in 1983. After a pair of 4–6 seasons, the Comets' fortunes began to improve. By the time Craft left the San Marcos school for the Aztec coordinator's job in 1994, Palomar was coming off a three-year stretch of 31–2, had an offense ranked among the nation's top five for five consecutive years and was sporting two national championships. Craft returned to Palomar in 1997 and was the head coach from 1997-2001. At Palomar, Craft coached seven All-American quarterbacks: Duffy Daughtery, Scott Barrick, Brett Salisbury, Andy Loveland, Tom Luginbill, Greg Cicero, and Andy Goodenough. He compiled an overall record of 115–56 and three national junior college football championships at Palomar.

Craft served as the head football coach at San Diego State University from 2002 to 2005. Under his tenure, San Diego State developed a reputation of playing the tough teams well but lacked consistency and never had a winning season. In 2004, San Diego State lost to #17 Michigan 24–21 and in 2005, lost 24–21 to #20 TCU. San Diego State fired Craft at the end of the 2005 season.

Craft was the associate head coach and offensive coordinator at Mount San Antonio College in Walnut, California from 2007-2009. He served as the head football coach at Riverside City College in Riverside, California, from August 2010 until his retirement in December 2024.

Head coaching record College

Junior college football