USF Athletics

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Sean Cronin joined the USF coaching staff as the Bulls’ defensive tackles coach in February of 2017. He moved to coaching outside linebackers prior to the 2019 season.
 
A part of four national championship winning teams – two as a player and two as a coach – Cronin previously worked with head coach Charlie Strong at the University of Florida, where as a graduate assistant he helped the Gators to win BCS National Championships in 2006 and 2008. Cronin also won a pair of FCS National Championships as a defensive lineman at Georgetown College (Ky.) in 2000 and 2001.
 
In his first season at USF (2017), Cronin led a defensive tackles unit that helped USF rank fifth in the nation in tackles for loss (8.4 tpg) and 11th in sacks (3.00 spg). The play of the defensive line helped USF’s defense finish in the top 25 of the national rankings in six categories and go from 120^th in total defense (482.0 ypg) and 92^nd in scoring (31.6 ppg) the prior year to 37^th (359.8 ypg) and 41^st (21.5 ppg), respectively, in 2017. Defensive tackle Deadrin Senat posted a career-best year, logging 66 tackles, 6.0 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss, while fellow defensive tackle Bruce Hector led the team with 7.0 sacks and was second with 13.0 tackles for loss. Senat earned first team all-conference honors, 2017 Sports Illustrated All-Bowl Team honors and selection to the East-West Shrine Game while Hector was a second team all-conference selection and was selected to the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl. Senat was selected in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft while Hector was signed as a free agent. 

Cronin served as defensive ends coach at Marshall University from 2013 to 2016, helping the Herd to post 127 quarterback sacks in his four seasons on staff. Cronin helped Marshall post three seasons with 10 or more wins, three bowl victories and an overall record of 36-17 during his four seasons.

In 2013, the Herd went 10-4 and downed Maryland in the Military Bowl. In 2014, Marshal went 13-1, won a league title, beat Northern Illinois in the Boca Raton Bowl and finished ranked in the AP Top 25. In 2015, the Herd posted a 10-3 record and a St. Petersburg Bowl victory.

Cronin guided Gary Thompson to Conference USA All-Freshman Team honors in 2013. Thompson posted 19 sacks and 29 tackles for loss on his career, including nine sacks, 12.5 tackles for loss and 16 quarterback hurries during the 2015 season. Cronin also guided Ryan Bee to a spot on the Conference USA All-Freshman Team in 2015 with 59 tackles, 8.5 TFL and four sacks. Bee posted 8.5 sacks and 15.0 tackles for loss in his first two seasons under Cronin. Arnold Blackmon earned C-USA second team honors at defensive end in 2014 for the Herd.

Cronin served three stints at Marshall, two on head coach Doc Holliday's staff. He previously worked as a defensive line coach in 2010 under Holliday and was a graduate assistant at Marshall in 2005.

From 2011-12, Cronin served as defensive line coach at Temple, helping guide three-time All-Mid-American Conference first team defensive end Adrian Robinson and All-MAC defensive end Morkeith Brown. The Owls defense dominated the league in 2011, leading in five categories while ranking No. 3 nationally in scoring defense. In 2012, Brown (Tampa Bay) and DE Adrian Robinson (Pittsburgh) signed NFL rookie free agent contracts, helping to set the Temple school record with a class of 12 NFL signees.

Prior to his second stint at Marshall, Cronin spent the 2009 season as the defensive line coach at The Citadel and three years (2006-08) as a graduate assistant defensive coach at Florida, where he worked with eight NFL Draft picks.

Cronin helped Florida to BCS National Championships in his first and third seasons (2006 and 2008). Cronin went to UF after spending the 2005 season at Marshall, where he served as the offensive and special teams quality control assistant.

Cronin began his collegiate playing career at the University of Cincinnati, where he was a defensive end before transferring to Georgetown College, where he played defensive end his first season and defensive tackle during his final two years. He helped Georgetown win two national titles (2000 and '01) and was an All-American and all-conference selection in 2002.

Cronin earned his bachelor's degree in history with a minor in coaching from Georgetown in 2002. After graduation, he spent the spring semester interning with the defensive line and in strength and conditioning efforts. He went on to work at Clarion University (Pa.), where he spent two seasons as linebackers coach for the NCAA Division II program and completed his master's degree in rehabilitative science in 2004.

Cronin is married to the former Emily Heater. The couple have three daughters, Grace, Caitlin and Mary, and a son, Joseph.