Gravelle Craig begins his first season as Acting Head Coach of the Bethune-Cookman University men's basketball team after seven years of playing a key part in the Wildcats' rise to Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference regular season champions.

"It's great to have an opportunity to be a head coach at the Division I level," Craig said. "I'm grateful that [B-CU Athletic Director Lynn]Thompson has given me this opportunity and I want to keep the program going in the direction it has the last three years."

Craig has been with the program since 2004, servingmost recently as associate head coach overseeing the development of the Wildcats' backcourt players in addition to his responsibilities of recruiting, scouting and academic monitoring.He lends more than just coaching experience to the Wildcats, but also brings a passion that is unmatched by many coaches in his efforts to make players better off the court.

In hisfirstyear with the Wildcats program, Craig bonded very quickly with the players and coaching staff. Bethune-Cookman guards have been well celebrated in the past ears, most recently with Antonio Webb who was named to the All-MEAC Second Team after the 2004-05 playing season and CJ Reed's garnering of the 2010-2011 MEAC Player Of The Year honors.

Craig came to Bethune-Cookman after spending the 2003-04 season at Chicago State University as an assistant coach. While at Chicago State, he was a part of the coaching staff that guided CSU to the most wins in school history on the Division I level of athletics with 13 overall wins. Prior to that, he was an assistant coach at Morris Brown College in Atlanta, Georgia for two seasons throughout the 2001-02 and 2002-03 campaigns.

"I just want to bring certain toughness towards the guard position," Craig said. "I try to promote intelligent play and continued growth of the program."

Just before that, Craig spent the summer of 1998 as Director of the Cleveland Pro-Am Summer Basketball League where numerous NBA players such as former Florida State guard Bob Sura, James Posey, Earl Boykins and J.R. Bremer were featured as a part of his leadership.

Craig is a 1994 graduate of Cleveland State University in Cleveland, Ohio, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications. While at Cleveland State, Craig was selected as a First Team All-Mid-Con performer for the 1992-93 campaign. He helped the Vikings to the Mid-Con Championship in 1993, and holds the Mid-Con Tournament single-game record for assists (14).

He is a native of Farrell, Pennsylvania.