Joe Cravens

{{Short description|American college basketball coach}}

{{Infobox college coach

| name = Joe Cravens

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1954|3|9}}

| birth_place = Scottsburg, Indiana, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| alma_mater =

| player_years1 = 1972–1974

| player_team1 = Brunswick JC

| player_years2 = 1974–1976

| player_team2 = Texas–Arlington

| player_positions = Guard

| coach_years1 = 1977–1978

| coach_team1 = Texas–Arlington (asst.)

| coach_years2 = 1978–1981

| coach_team2 = Southwest Texas State (asst.)

| coach_years3 = 1981–1985

| coach_team3 = Texas–Arlington (asst.)

| coach_years4 = 1985–1989

| coach_team4 = Washington (asst.)

| coach_years5 = 1989–1993

| coach_team5 = Utah (asst.)

| coach_years6 = 1989–1990

| coach_team6 = Utah (interim HC)

| coach_years7 = 1993–1996

| coach_team7 = Idaho

| coach_years8 = 1996–1997

| coach_team8 = UC Irvine (asst.)

| coach_years9 = 1997–1999

| coach_team9 = Weber State (asst.)

| coach_years10 = 1999–2006

| coach_team10 = Weber State

| overall_record = {{Winning percentage|170|141|record=y}}

| bowl_record =

| tournament_record =

| championships =

| awards =

| coaching_records =

}}

Joseph Dale Cravens (born March 9, 1954) is a former American college basketball coach. He was the head coach at {{nowrap|Idaho,{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=515WAAAAIBAJ&sjid=U_ADAAAAIBAJ&pg=6696%2C6883926 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington) |last=Meehan |first=Jim |title=Cravens takes Vandals' reins |date=April 9, 1993 |page=C1}}}} Weber State, and the interim head coach at Utah for most of a season.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=nGEzAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1oQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3256%2C7609158 |work=Deseret News |location=(Salt Lake City, Utah) |last=Robinson |first=Doug|title=Just call him anonymous |date=December 14, 1989 |page=D1}}{{cite web|title=Joe Cravens |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/coaches/c/cravejo01.html |publisher=Sports Reference |access-date=9 October 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110816180335/http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/coaches/c/cravejo01.html |archive-date=16 August 2011 }}

Born and raised in Scottsburg, Indiana, Cravens played college basketball at Brunswick Junior College in Georgia and transferred to Texas–Arlington for his final two seasons. He was an assistant coach for a year at his alma mater, then at Southwest Texas State in San Marcos for three years, and returned to Texas–Arlington.

In 1985, he joined the staff of new head coach Andy Russo at Washington in Seattle for four years in the Pac-10, then went to Utah under new head coach Rick Majerus in 1989. In mid-December, Majerus required major heart surgery and Cravens took over as interim head coach of the Utes in the WAC for the remainder of that {{nowrap|first season.}}

After four years in Salt Lake City, Cravens was hired as head coach at Idaho in Moscow in April 1993, succeeding Larry Eustachy,{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=IM4qAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_dAFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6197%2C934323|work=Moscow-Pullman Daily News |location=(Idaho-Washington) |last=Powell |first=Charlie |agency=(photo) |title=Idaho's new coach |date=April 9, 1993 |page=1A}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=IM4qAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_dAFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6088%2C983365|work=Moscow-Pullman Daily News |location=(Idaho-Washington) |last=Jacobson |first=Bryan |title=Cravens gets Idaho post |date=April 9, 1993 |page=1B}} and led the Vandals on the Palouse for three seasons.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=CNsqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=k9AFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6019%2C854581 |work=Moscow-Pullman Daily News |location=(Idaho-Washington) |last=Sullivan |first=Tim |title=Idaho fires Cravens after turbulent year |date=March 11, 1996 |page=1C }}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=EdsqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=k9AFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5953%2C934355 |work=Moscow-Pullman Daily News |location=(Idaho-Washington) |last=Sullivan |first=Tim |title=Cravens feels betrayed after sudden firing by UI |date=March 12, 1996 |page=1B }}{{cite news |url=https://digital.lib.uidaho.edu/cdm/ref/collection/argonaut/id/10060?_ga=2.105346314.803473178.1519446968-632479480.1517437024 |work=Argonaut |location=(Moscow, Idaho)|agency=(University of Idaho) |last=Eckles |first=Dan |title=Cravens out at Idaho |date=March 12, 1996 |page=14}} After Idaho, he coached in Switzerland that summer, then was an assistant at UC Irvine for {{nowrap|a season,{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-07-10-sp-22854-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |last=Weyler |first=John |title=UC Irvine hires assistant coach for men's basketball |date=July 10, 1996 |access-date=February 27, 2018}}}} and for two more back in the state of Utah at Weber State in Ogden under Ron Abegglen.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7ewjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zOwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1903%2C3609483 |work=Deseret News |location=(Salt Lake City, Utah) |last=Rock |first=Brad |title=Weber replaces Abegglen with assistant coach Cravens |date=March 22, 1999 |page=D1}} Promoted to head coach in March {{nowrap|1999,{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1mJWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=DfIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6670%2C3348533 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington) |agency=Associated Press |title=Weber tabs ex-Vandal as its coach |date=March 23, 1999 |page=C3}}}} he compiled a {{winning percentage|116|88|record=y}} record in seven seasons. Cravens led the 2003 team to an undefeated {{nowrap|(14–0)}} record in the Big Sky Conference (26–6 overall), but the Wildcats fell to fifth-seed Wisconsin in the NCAA tournament's first round {{nowrap|at Spokane.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AeQdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=R0QEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3647%2C128964 |work=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |last=Stewart |first=Mark |title=Badgers foil their critics |date=March 21, 2003 |page=1C}}}}