A man who has never been one for the spotlight was center stage May 5 as retired Riverside City College head football coach Tom Craft was inducted into the Riverside Sport Hall of Fame Class of 2025.
Donning the red jacket, Craft audibled from standing at the podium and instead paced back and forth across the stage to deliver his speech inside Dale E. and Sarah Ann Fowler Events Center at California Baptist University.
‘Shooting from the hip,’ he went on, reflecting on his beginnings at RCC, the program’s success during his tenure, and when he knew it was time to hang it up. The most important facet of his speech was giving thanks to those who were along for the journey.
Among the many, he gave thanks to were his wife Cathy, son Kevin, RCC Athletic Director Cliff Dochterman, Athletic Trainer Todd Babcock and Equipment Manager Pete Aneiro, all of whom were in attendance.
“The Riverside Sport Hall of Fame is recognizing them,” Craft said. “I don’t look at it as recognizing me. They’re the key to our program.”
Craft retired after the 2024 season, finishing with a 146-22 record, three California Community Colleges Athletic Association State Championships, and what he considers his greatest success of transferring over 330 of his student-athletes to the four-year level.
“That’s the success of our program,” Craft said. “It’s not the winning, it’s all about the kids in developing them and going on to the next level.”
Overall, in his 30-year career at the junior college level, Craft had a 261-78-1 record – the best record of any two-year college football coach.
Reflecting on his 2023 state championship with the Tigers, Craft realized that his days of coaching were nearing the end.
Instead of partaking in the postgame festivities, Craft left Wheelock Stadium with his wife and drove down to his daughter’s home and pondered over a glass of wine.
“That was a sign that it was time to go,” Craft said. “I wasn’t feeling the same.”
Craft’s closing remarks were what he built the RCC football program off of: respect.
“When you’re respected and you win all the time, that’s when you’re feared,” he said.
Joining Craft in the Class of 2025 were Ron Edmondson, Gene Hughes, Pete King, Doug Smith, Bud and Claudia Luppino, Jim Vaughan and Evan Evans.
“I loved this job at Riverside,” Craft said. “This was the best job I ever had.”
