In 2013, Kentucky softball unveiled John Cropp Stadium, a sleek new facility that includes improved seating, suites, an indoor hitting facility, and more. The stadium hosted the SEC tournament less than a month after being christened and has hosted seven NCAA regionals in the years since.
Just who is John Cropp, the man whose name the UK softball stadium bears?
A former multi-sport high school athlete, Cropp played college football at Vanderbilt, playing on both sides of the ball as a guard and linebacker. He earned three letters at Vandy, as well as both his bachelor’s and Master’s degrees.
Born in Montana, Cropp served as a lieutenant in the United States Army from 1962-65, stationed in Germany. He began coaching football overseas, with a Manheim team that won the European championship and as head coach of V Corps.
Cropp coached football at the high school and collegiate levels in the 1960s and 70s; he led Tennessee High School to a 1972 national championship before entering the collegiate ranks in 1973. He coached at Vanderbilt, Texas Tech, Ole Miss, and Duke and spent more than a decade as a college football coach before moving into athletic administration in the mid-1980s.
It was in 1991 that Cropp joined the administrative staff at Kentucky as an Associate Athletic Director. He was a sport administrator for most of the Wildcats’ teams through the years, including the softball program. He worked with the softball program from its inception in 1997 until his retirement in 2013.
When John Cropp Stadium was opened and dedicated in 2013, UK athletic director Mitch Barnhart – who took over the Wildcats’ department in 2002 – said of Cropp, “There are people who transcend institutions and generations while making an impact on the lives of many. John has been that person in college athletics and at the University of Kentucky. His wisdom and love for athletes, coaches and staff have been a blessing to all of us and we are honored and proud to have worked with him. This is a fitting tribute for all he has done for our softball program, our athletic department and our University.”
Two years after retiring from his decades-long administrative career, Cropp was inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2015.
