NEWBERG, Ore. -- George Fox has found the man to lead its football program into the future. Spencer Crace, who orchestrated some of the top offenses in the Northwest Conference over the last seven seasons, will return to his home state to lead the Bruins as head coach.
Crace will replace Chris Casey, the program’s coach since its return to the gridiron in 2014. Casey announced his retirement after 43 seasons of coaching football in the Pacific Northwest, including 11 at the helm of the Bruins. Now, Crace steps into the fold after helping PLU to its best season since 2014.
“For the longest time this has been my dream job,” Crace said, “To be able to come back home to where I grew up and to lead a program at a university that loves Jesus and is unashamed of the Gospel is a dream come true.”
Originally from Wilsonville, Ore., Crace played football and baseball at the University of Puget Sound and most recently served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Pacific Lutheran since 2018. In his final season with the Lutes, a year in which he was named Assistant Head Coach, the team finished 7-3 with a 5-2 mark in conference play.
The Lutes’ offense averaged 27.9 points per game in 2024 and put up 30 points per game in 2023 as the team finished third overall in the conference each season. In the past two seasons, the Lutes have scored more than 40 points four times, more than 50 twice, and put up 62 points in 2023. In 2024, the Lutes were second in the NWC in rushing offense and put seven offensive players on All-NWC teams.
In addition to his prowess on the field, Crace has served as the academic success coordinator for the Lutes; in the past three seasons, PLU has put 16 players on the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District team. Crace also heads a branch of the PNW Football chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), having served as the director since April 2022.
“Spencer Crace is an incredible culture fit at George Fox University, deeply aligned with our mission to develop young men who will serve the world with passion and integrity through the sport of football,” George Fox athletic director Adam Puckett said, “He is a natural and charismatic leader who knows the game at a high level and has been instrumental in turning around the Pacific Lutheran program in recent years. The future of Bruin football is incredibly bright, and we believe we’ve found the right guy to lead this program forward — both on and off the field — the right way.”
“Spencer Crace was exactly the candidate we were looking for,” said George Fox President Robin Baker, who initiated the return of football to George Fox. “Spencer has proven himself an excellent coach at one of the best football programs in the Northwest Conference. And just as important for me, he is a person of integrity and faith who will embrace our university identity and culture. We believe our football program is in good hands with Coach Crace.”
Prior to his time at Pacific Lutheran, Crace spent the previous three seasons as the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at Sumner High School. While with the Spartans, Crace helped the team compile a 32-5 record on the gridiron, winning two league championships and making two state semifinal appearances. Crace also had stops at Stadium High School and Horizon Christian High School before spending time at Sumner.
“From the day I stepped on campus for my final interview, I knew this was home,” the new Bruin head coach said, “This community is special and they expect to win! Here at George Fox, a champion's heart is a Christ-like heart. I’m excited to show our alumni and our fans a new brand of George Fox football.”
George Fox football returned to the field in 2014 and made an immediate impact on the Newberg community. The Bruins have consistently ranked at the top of the Northwest Conference in attendance, and the fans have watched 12 D3football.com All-Region athletes, 129 All-NWC athletes, 38 NWC Student-Athletes of the Week, and the school’s first two McIlroy-Lewis All-Sports trophies in the past 11 years.
But now, they will have a new man to cheer for: Spencer Crace.
