Sheldon Croney - Football Coach - Central Michigan University Athletics

Photo by: Jack Reeber

Sheldon Croney

Title:
Running Backs Coach
Phone:
@SheldonCroneyJr (X)
Year at CMU:
1st year at CMU
Hometown:
Iowa State/2019
Alma Mater/Year:
Bakersfield, Calif.

Sheldon Croney Jr. is in his first season on head coach Matt Drinkall’s coaching staff as running backs coach. The former Iowa State running back joins the Central Michigan staff after spending two seasons as his alma mater’s offensive graduate assistant.

In his two years on the coaching staff at Iowa State, Croney worked primarily with the running backs. In 2024, Iowa State finished 10-3 overall, 7-2 in the Big 12 Conference, and earned an invitation to play in the Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando, Fla. The Cyclones averaged 161.69 yards rushing per game, rushed for 2,102 yards and 24 touchdowns.

In 2023, the Cyclones went 7-6 overall and 6-3 in Big 12 action to return to a bowl game, the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. ISU won four-straight road games in a season for the first time in school history, including an instant classic 42-35 victory in a snowstorm at Kansas State to end the regular seasons. He helped to mentor first-year running back Abu Sama III on his way to earning a spot on the 247Sports True Freshman All-America team. Sama rushed for 614 yards and six touchdowns, both the third-best totals by a freshman in school history. Five of Sama's touchdown runs were 50-plus yards, the most in a single season at ISU in school history (dating back to 1971).

Croney played for the Cyclones from 2015-19, suiting up his final four seasons for head coach Matt Campbell. The Cyclones reached three bowl games during his career, winning the 2017 Liberty Bowl against Memphis. He concluded his career with 311 rushing yards and three touchdowns along with 25 receptions for 182 yards, and scored the game-winning touchdown in the third overtime of a 2019 victory over Northern Iowa.

A Bakersfield, Calif. native, Croney earned his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice in 2019 and worked in the private sector following his time at Iowa State. His uncle is Joey Porter, a four-time All-Pro linebacker and Super Bowl Champion with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

THE CRONEY FILE

Birthdate: April 10, 1997
Hometown: Bakersfield, Calif.

Education
Bachelor of Arts, Criminal Justice, Iowa State University, 2019
Master of Education, Higher Education, Iowa State University, 2024

Coaching Career
Running Backs Coach, Central Michigan University, 2025-current
Offensive Graduate Assistant, Iowa State University, 2023-24

Playing Career
Earned four letters at running back at Iowa State … Rushed for 311 career rushing yards and three touchdowns … Scored the game-winning touchdown in the third overtime of a 2019 victory over Northern Iowa … Played high school football at Ridgeview H.S., where he set the school-record for most career rushing touchdowns with 53, rushed for 2,271 yards and 32 touchdowns as a senior and a school-record 2,377 yards and 28 touchdowns as a junior … Also set the school’s single-game rushing yards record with 380 yards.